Color question...

[Hoosiermomma]

Here's a pic of my male that is just about a year and a half. He started off with a single white spot on a feather. Now there are quite a few. Will he continue to develop more ?

 

[Kev]

That's a white eyed. You just won't know just how many or few white-eyes he will have until he's three years old. The number on the boys can change seriously wildly(or very little..) during each molt, however once they are mature at three years, the white eyes seem to be suddenly stable and are basically the same year to year.

It's possible he will end up with every eye having white spot.. or none at all. Most likely he will have a few with obvious white spots, some with tiny spots, and some with no white eyes. Most end up more or less like this.

The amount of white tipped feathers can change on hens yearly through their whole lives though.

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Thanks Kev. If I would breed him to a white hen then would I get half Ib's/half whites? I certainly wouldn't mind more white eyes, I think it makes him more interesting looking.

 

[Kev]

White eye is a mutant gene of its own.

White eyed x white hen= either all white eyed or half white eyed.. depending on if he's pure or not pure for WE, respectively. All of them would be split for white.

If he has some white on chin(kind of seems he does) and on wingtips, he could be split white. If he IS split white then:

your male x white= half whites, half IB, could be all white eyed or half white eyed & all would be split white too.

I really like white eyes! It's so variable plus they are more eye catching, the white spots on adult male are very visible, even at a good distance away- more eye catching(ha!)...

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Well you know how much I love that pic of your spaulding pied, I fell in love with the blue/white combination. It'll probably be a while before I find one similar in color/pattern to yours but in the meantime I just love the fact that my fella is getting more white on him. It's a shame I can't fast forward a year or two to see what he ends up looking like but since I can't it will be a fun ride watching him transform nonetheless.

Yes he does have some white on his chin. I had wanted to get a white pair but I think I might just stick with a white hen and see what happens.

Thanks once again for the info Kev.....

 

[Kev]

No problem at all, Debby.

There's also the possibility that your guy is a dark pied.. if he is, he will throw pied babies with the white hen. That's part of the fun in breeding- finding out just exactly what the parent(s) are, like your guy.

Could try for a silver pied hen to make it a trio? Silver pieds are a very easy way to have/breed for pieds with lots of white.