Can I breed my Silver Laced bantam Cochin boy to a Birchen Hen?

[verycherry]

I have this Black Cochin hen that I think is half Birchen. You really can't see the Birchen pattern in the photos, since it's light and disappears into the shine on her neck feathers, but it's definately there and easy to see in person.

Some of the chicks in the same batch that she came out of had Birchen marking, but this one and one more pullet didn't. I just wanted a broody, so I bought the two girls without the markings. Later, one of them developed faint markings, so I'm guessing she is "carrying?" the gene???

Anyway, I was thinking I'd like to hatch some of her eggs. She's such a good natured girl. I don't have a Birchen male, or even a black one, just a white bantam rooster and a Silver Laced bantam cockerel. What would I get if I breed her to my Silver Laced Bantam Cochin boy? What would be the best choice to breed her too...if I had it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[verycherry]

...or what would happen if I breed her to the white male?

 

[Krys109uk]

She may not be birchen she could be black but lacking some melanisers (blackening genes).
White is an unpredictable colour to breed with any other colour. Crossing her to either of the males you mention is not ideal & probably won't produce any useful colour pattern. But if you want friendly pets, why not?

 

[verycherry]

Could be, but I was told that the orginal breeder had both black and birchen, and some of the chicks in the same brooder had obvious birchen pattern, so that's why I was wondering if she was a mix of the two colors. The girl I got the two hens from had gotten the eggs from someone else.



*Edited to add:

I've never worked with Birchen before obviously. I bought her as a black, but then decided to breed only the Silver Laced and sold my solid blacks. I kept this one since she's such a good broody and I just adore her. If all I'd get are mutts, then I have enough of those, lol!

Do you think breeding her to a black (which I don't have) would produce blacks then, since the male would carry the melanisers?

 

[Goose and Fig]

I let my little birchen jap have chicks with my black cochin banty. All of the chicks came out like little booted japs- and only the males were birchen- even more so than their mom. Goofy looking little things- but great foreagers!