Buffs hatched out a partridge?

[heebygeebies]

My neighbour has a pen of buff birds and only owns that colour. She just had a hen hatch out some chicks and not all the chicks look buff. One looks partridge and a few are yellow coloured but also dark in spots.

What could be going on?? Can you get different colours from breeding buffs together??

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can you get different colours from breeding buffs together??

Well, your friend did, so it’s possible.

There are some different genetic combinations that can male buffs. Sometimes when you cross buffs that get to buff different ways genetically, you can get chickens that are not buff.

But what is more likely, those buffs are not pure genetically. They probably have some recessive genes hiding under dominant genes. Then when you cross them, those recessive genes sometimes pair up and you get birds that are not buff.