Great info
Diagrams,poultry parts,charts, and lots of reading Updated Nov. 13th
- Thread starter Chris09
- Start date
You have no idea how much I needed this. Thank you very much for taking the time to put this info up.
- Thread starter
- #33
- Thread starter
- #34
I just added a
Poultry Plumage Terms and Definitions list to my original post
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=343605&p=1.
Here is what was added. --
Barring--
Alternate stripes of light and dark across a feather, most distinctly seen in Barred Plymouth Rock
Bay--
A reddish-brown color.
Bleaching--
The fading of color from the beak, shanks, and vent of a yellow-skinned laying hen.
Brassiness--
Yellowish foul coloring on plumage, usually on the back and the wing.
Cuckoo barring--
Irregular barring where the two colors are somewhat indistinct, and run into each other, as in the North Holland Blue , Cuckoo Leghorn and Cuckoo Marans.
Double laced--
Two lacings of black, as seen on the Cornish female`s feather. First there is the outer black lacing around the edge of the feather, plus the inner, or second lacing.
Dusky--
Yellow pigment shaded with black.
Duckwing--
To have coloring in both the wing bow and wing bay while the wing bar is black or white like seen in Black breasted reds and pyles. Unlike a crow-wing which only possesses coloring in the wing bow.
Ground color--
Main color of body plumage on which markings are applied.
Gypsy color--
A dark purple, or black colored skin that predominantly shows up on the face, comb, and wattles, but can be the color of the whole body as well like in Silkies.
Hard feathered--
A term used in the description of the plumage of gamefowl. Hardness is based on how narrow, and short the feathers are, and the toughness of the shaft. It is also normal for the barbs to be closely knitted, and very little fluff.
Lacing--
A stripe or edging all around a feather, differing in color from that of the ground color; single in such breeds as Wyandottes, and Sebright bantams, and double in Cornish Game and other females. In the last case the inner lacing not as broad as the outer. (see also double laced)
Luster--
A description of the way light interacts with a surface.
Mealy--
Stippled with a lighter shade, as though dusted with meal, a defect in buff colored fowls.
Open barring--
Where the bars on a feather are wide apart.
Open lacing--
Narrow outer lacing, which gives the feather a larger open center of ground color.
Parti colored--
To have different colors in different areas or patches.
Pigmentations--
The color of a chicken's beak, shanks and vent
Pinfeathers--
The tips of newly emerging feathers.
Pencilling--
Small markings or stripes on a feather, straight across in Hamburgh females (and often known as bands) and concentric in form, following the outline of feather as in Brahmas (Dark) Cochins (partridge) Dorkings (silver grey} and Wyandotte (Partridge and Silver Pencilled) females and fine stippled markings of Old English Game and Brown Leghorns.
Peppering--
A plumage is said to be peppered when it is dotted with spots.
Plumage--
The feathers making up the outer covering of fowls.
Primaries--
The feathers of the wings generally called the flight feathers.
Primary coverts--
The feathers that cover the primaries on the wing.
Rust--
The reddish-brown shadings on the outside of the wings in Black breasted reds, and brown leghorns. In England it is called foxy.
Secondaries--
The quill feathers of the wings which are visible when the wing is closed.
Self color--
A uniform color, unmixed with any other color.
Sexed feathers--
Hackle, Saddle and Tail feathers whose ends are pointed in males and rounded in females. (except in breeds in which the males are "hen feathered" such as Sebrights).
Shaft--
The stem or quill part of the feather.
Shafty--
The term describing a dark-colored feather having a light shaft.
Sickles--
The long curved feathers of a males tail usually applied to the top pair only (the others often been called the lesser sickles) but sometimes used for the tail coverts.
Tail coverts--
The feathers that cover the main tail feathers of the rooster.
Ticked--
A fowl is ticked when it has a spots of a color different from the rest of the plumage .
Tipping--
End of feathers tipped with a different colored marking.
Top color--
The color of the plumage on the back.
Tri-colored--
Of three colors. The term refers chiefly to buff and red fowls, and generally applied only to males when their hackles ans tails are dark compared with the general plumage, and the wing bows are darker; a fault.
Twisted feather--
A deformed feather that has the shaft, or web twisted.
Under color--
Color seen when the feathers are lifted on a bird, the color of the fluff of the feathers.
Wing bar--
Any line of dark color across the middle of the wing, caused by the color or marking of the feathers known as the lower wing coverts.
Wing bay--
The triangular part of the folded wing between the wing bar, and the point.
Wing bow--
The upper, or shoulder part of the wing.
Wing butt--
The end of the primaries, the corners or ends of the wing. The upper ends are more properly called the shoulder butts and are thus termed by game fanciers. The lower, are often called the wing butts.
Wing coverts--
The feathers covering the roots of the secondary quills.
Wing clipping--
Procedure used to prevent flight in which the Primary Flight Feathers are cut to 25 or 50% of their length.
Chris
Poultry Plumage Terms and Definitions list to my original post
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=343605&p=1.
Here is what was added. --
Barring--
Alternate stripes of light and dark across a feather, most distinctly seen in Barred Plymouth Rock
Bay--
A reddish-brown color.
Bleaching--
The fading of color from the beak, shanks, and vent of a yellow-skinned laying hen.
Brassiness--
Yellowish foul coloring on plumage, usually on the back and the wing.
Cuckoo barring--
Irregular barring where the two colors are somewhat indistinct, and run into each other, as in the North Holland Blue , Cuckoo Leghorn and Cuckoo Marans.
Double laced--
Two lacings of black, as seen on the Cornish female`s feather. First there is the outer black lacing around the edge of the feather, plus the inner, or second lacing.
Dusky--
Yellow pigment shaded with black.
Duckwing--
To have coloring in both the wing bow and wing bay while the wing bar is black or white like seen in Black breasted reds and pyles. Unlike a crow-wing which only possesses coloring in the wing bow.
Ground color--
Main color of body plumage on which markings are applied.
Gypsy color--
A dark purple, or black colored skin that predominantly shows up on the face, comb, and wattles, but can be the color of the whole body as well like in Silkies.
Hard feathered--
A term used in the description of the plumage of gamefowl. Hardness is based on how narrow, and short the feathers are, and the toughness of the shaft. It is also normal for the barbs to be closely knitted, and very little fluff.
Lacing--
A stripe or edging all around a feather, differing in color from that of the ground color; single in such breeds as Wyandottes, and Sebright bantams, and double in Cornish Game and other females. In the last case the inner lacing not as broad as the outer. (see also double laced)
Luster--
A description of the way light interacts with a surface.
Mealy--
Stippled with a lighter shade, as though dusted with meal, a defect in buff colored fowls.
Open barring--
Where the bars on a feather are wide apart.
Open lacing--
Narrow outer lacing, which gives the feather a larger open center of ground color.
Parti colored--
To have different colors in different areas or patches.
Pigmentations--
The color of a chicken's beak, shanks and vent
Pinfeathers--
The tips of newly emerging feathers.
Pencilling--
Small markings or stripes on a feather, straight across in Hamburgh females (and often known as bands) and concentric in form, following the outline of feather as in Brahmas (Dark) Cochins (partridge) Dorkings (silver grey} and Wyandotte (Partridge and Silver Pencilled) females and fine stippled markings of Old English Game and Brown Leghorns.
Peppering--
A plumage is said to be peppered when it is dotted with spots.
Plumage--
The feathers making up the outer covering of fowls.
Primaries--
The feathers of the wings generally called the flight feathers.
Primary coverts--
The feathers that cover the primaries on the wing.
Rust--
The reddish-brown shadings on the outside of the wings in Black breasted reds, and brown leghorns. In England it is called foxy.
Secondaries--
The quill feathers of the wings which are visible when the wing is closed.
Self color--
A uniform color, unmixed with any other color.
Sexed feathers--
Hackle, Saddle and Tail feathers whose ends are pointed in males and rounded in females. (except in breeds in which the males are "hen feathered" such as Sebrights).
Shaft--
The stem or quill part of the feather.
Shafty--
The term describing a dark-colored feather having a light shaft.
Sickles--
The long curved feathers of a males tail usually applied to the top pair only (the others often been called the lesser sickles) but sometimes used for the tail coverts.
Tail coverts--
The feathers that cover the main tail feathers of the rooster.
Ticked--
A fowl is ticked when it has a spots of a color different from the rest of the plumage .
Tipping--
End of feathers tipped with a different colored marking.
Top color--
The color of the plumage on the back.
Tri-colored--
Of three colors. The term refers chiefly to buff and red fowls, and generally applied only to males when their hackles ans tails are dark compared with the general plumage, and the wing bows are darker; a fault.
Twisted feather--
A deformed feather that has the shaft, or web twisted.
Under color--
Color seen when the feathers are lifted on a bird, the color of the fluff of the feathers.
Wing bar--
Any line of dark color across the middle of the wing, caused by the color or marking of the feathers known as the lower wing coverts.
Wing bay--
The triangular part of the folded wing between the wing bar, and the point.
Wing bow--
The upper, or shoulder part of the wing.
Wing butt--
The end of the primaries, the corners or ends of the wing. The upper ends are more properly called the shoulder butts and are thus termed by game fanciers. The lower, are often called the wing butts.
Wing coverts--
The feathers covering the roots of the secondary quills.
Wing clipping--
Procedure used to prevent flight in which the Primary Flight Feathers are cut to 25 or 50% of their length.
Chris
Last edited:
W0W! Great thread!!!
- Thread starter
- #36
All chickens have black and red (gold). These are the only colors in chickens. All the different patterns and colors depend on either restricting or enhancing these two colors.
THE DOWN GENES
E--extended black. dominate Chicks are hatched as black. In adult hood they are black with red (gold) or white (silver) in the hackles and saddles. (polecats, furriness) My Mottles have E.
e Wh -- dominate wheaten. Chicks hatch out as whitish. adults are: males: red hackle and saddle without stripping. Breast, tail, and wing bows black. Females: Wheat colored to reddish. Black restricted to the wings and tail. Example Wheaten. My Mille Fleurs have e wh.
e+ --wild. Chicks are brown like chipmunks when hatched, with striped head and back. In adult hood males: Much like the wheaten males above, but the red is not quite so bright. Females: Brownish with very fine black penciling on body. Breast is salmon Example Black Breasted Red/ Silver Ducklings.e b --dark brown. Chicks striped back with a blurred head. Adults males: as above. Females as above but have a red/brown breast instead of salmon.
e bc -- buttercup. Chicks as chicks above but the yellowish white stripe is wider. Head stripe is broken and irregular. Adults as above.
e y --recessive wheaten. chicks are white. Adults are like above but the red is darker and both sexes have striping in the saddle and hackle.
These are the foundation that the other genes work with to give us the colors and patterns that we enjoy in chickens. Extended black is the only dominate gene in this group. The others are incomplete dominate. A chick with 2 different down genes will show traits of each.
ENHANCERS OF BLACK
mi -- Melanotic. recessive This gene allows for the normally red areas of chickens to be black. (Melanotic plus E = a black bird).
DILUTERS OF BLACK
Bl --Andalusin blue. One gene to a black bird will be blue. Two genes will be splash. See blue gene. One of my favorite genes. Without it I would only have Mottled and Mille Fleur. It changes a Mille Fleur to a Blue Mille Fleur of Golden Neck depending on the number of genes present. It also changes a Mottled to a Blue Mottled.
Co --Columbian dominate. Removes black to the hackle and tail. Makes for the male to have a white or buff breast. Males and females have same color instead of being different. This changes a Wheaten bird to a Buff Columbian
Db --Dark Brown. dominate Reported by Moore and Smyth (1972) makes a male into a black tailed white or buff or red while not removing all the stripping from the body of the female. A gene I'm not familiar with.
Ii -- Dominate white. effective in changing black to white but not so good on red e.g. creaminess on whites. Birds with Ii will have some black spots on breast. Used for Red Pyle Old English Game.
Er -- Erminette -- dominate. Reported by Hutt (1964) A heterozygous pattern Most feathers are white with the rest being black. Double dose birds are all white. Not a gene that I'm familiar with.
pi --Pied -- recessive Black and white are evenly marked. Best known example is Exchequer Leghorn. Another gene that I'm not familiar with.
Sd -- Sex Link Dilution. Reported by Munro (1946) Closely associated with Sex Linked Barring (B) Sd males are barred, Sd Sd males are white. Sd females are bluish ghost barred, sd females are barred. Another gene that I'm not familiar with.
RESTRICTORS OF BLACK AND RED
B -- Sex Link Barring-- dominate. "puts" white bars on the feather. Best example Barred Plymouth Rocks. Males can have 1 or 2 genes. Hence dark and light barred males. Females only 1. Males pass trait to sons and daughters. Females pass trait on to sons. Also effects red by having white bars on red feather. Best example Creel Old English Game.
mo -- Mottled --recessive. Makes a black bar with white spot below, at end of feather. Another one of my favorites. Without it I would only have Black and Buff Columbian (changes a black bird to a Mottled and a Buff Columbian bird to a Mille Fleur) .
DILUTERS OF BLACK AND GOLD
cc -- Recessive white --Changes both black and red to white. Working with recessive white can be tricky as it "white washes" a bird. It may have the phenotype of a totally different color or even a nonstandard color underneath the white. The only way to determine what the white is hiding is to mate it to a black bird. You can get barred, polecats, etc.
lav -- lavender.-- recessive. Black becomes gray and red feathers become cream.
rs -- red-splashed white. recessive Reported by Quinn (1934) A bird with 2 genes is reported to be white with splashes of red and black. Know nothing about this one either.
SEX LINK GOLD
G- --This is the second basic color of chickens (Black is the first) This makes for a buff colored bird (along with another gene) or causes the red in the red areas of the red and black bird.
ENHANCERS OF GOLD
ar -- Autosomal Red. -- Reported by Hutt (1949) In theory only. Independent of Sex Link Gold (red) as Silver doesn't effect it. Suggested that this makes for the Golden Duckwing Group. Personally know nothing about it. But suspect that Mh (mahogany) might do the same trick.
Mh --Mahogany. -- dominate. Makes for a dark red bird. Best known example : Rhode Island Red.
RESTRICTORS OF GOLD
S -- Sex Link Silver Incomplete dominate. Opposite of Sex Linked Gold. Changes gold to silver. Females have one gene. Males have 2 (or can have 1 of each). If a male has 1 for gold and one for silver his saddle and hackle is creamish. Changes a Black Breasted Red to Silver Duckwing or a Golden Sebright to a Silver Sebright.
DILUTERS OF GOLD
ig -- cream recessive. Reported by Punnett (1948) Described as introducing a rich cream to gold or a pale silver to silver. Know nothing about this one.
Di -- Dilute-- dominate Reported by Brumbaugh and Hollander Makes a red/gold bird into a buff. Another one that I haven't worked with.
cb -- champagne blond -- recessive. Also reported by Brumbaugh and Hollander. Reported to do the same as above. I tend to support this for Buffs from some breeding/crossing that I have done with Buff Plymouth Rocks, that there is a recessive gene that dilutes gold to a warm buff.
However some authors -- Somes and Smyth (1965) report that buffs carry a suppressor of red.
SECONDARY PATTERNS
Ab -- autosomal barring.
Lg -- lacing. dominate gives the Partridge Plymouth Rock females the lacing pattern. Same for Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks.
Sp -- spangling. dominate. Jeffery call this trait a pattern. I think of it as black restrictor. It removes black from all of the feather except the very end making a black inverted V. Best known examples Silver Spangled Hamburg and Golden Spangled Hamburg.
Above information found on ultimatefowl. com/wiki/
Chris
THE DOWN GENES
E--extended black. dominate Chicks are hatched as black. In adult hood they are black with red (gold) or white (silver) in the hackles and saddles. (polecats, furriness) My Mottles have E.
e Wh -- dominate wheaten. Chicks hatch out as whitish. adults are: males: red hackle and saddle without stripping. Breast, tail, and wing bows black. Females: Wheat colored to reddish. Black restricted to the wings and tail. Example Wheaten. My Mille Fleurs have e wh.
e+ --wild. Chicks are brown like chipmunks when hatched, with striped head and back. In adult hood males: Much like the wheaten males above, but the red is not quite so bright. Females: Brownish with very fine black penciling on body. Breast is salmon Example Black Breasted Red/ Silver Ducklings.e b --dark brown. Chicks striped back with a blurred head. Adults males: as above. Females as above but have a red/brown breast instead of salmon.
e bc -- buttercup. Chicks as chicks above but the yellowish white stripe is wider. Head stripe is broken and irregular. Adults as above.
e y --recessive wheaten. chicks are white. Adults are like above but the red is darker and both sexes have striping in the saddle and hackle.
These are the foundation that the other genes work with to give us the colors and patterns that we enjoy in chickens. Extended black is the only dominate gene in this group. The others are incomplete dominate. A chick with 2 different down genes will show traits of each.
ENHANCERS OF BLACK
mi -- Melanotic. recessive This gene allows for the normally red areas of chickens to be black. (Melanotic plus E = a black bird).
DILUTERS OF BLACK
Bl --Andalusin blue. One gene to a black bird will be blue. Two genes will be splash. See blue gene. One of my favorite genes. Without it I would only have Mottled and Mille Fleur. It changes a Mille Fleur to a Blue Mille Fleur of Golden Neck depending on the number of genes present. It also changes a Mottled to a Blue Mottled.
Co --Columbian dominate. Removes black to the hackle and tail. Makes for the male to have a white or buff breast. Males and females have same color instead of being different. This changes a Wheaten bird to a Buff Columbian
Db --Dark Brown. dominate Reported by Moore and Smyth (1972) makes a male into a black tailed white or buff or red while not removing all the stripping from the body of the female. A gene I'm not familiar with.
Ii -- Dominate white. effective in changing black to white but not so good on red e.g. creaminess on whites. Birds with Ii will have some black spots on breast. Used for Red Pyle Old English Game.
Er -- Erminette -- dominate. Reported by Hutt (1964) A heterozygous pattern Most feathers are white with the rest being black. Double dose birds are all white. Not a gene that I'm familiar with.
pi --Pied -- recessive Black and white are evenly marked. Best known example is Exchequer Leghorn. Another gene that I'm not familiar with.
Sd -- Sex Link Dilution. Reported by Munro (1946) Closely associated with Sex Linked Barring (B) Sd males are barred, Sd Sd males are white. Sd females are bluish ghost barred, sd females are barred. Another gene that I'm not familiar with.
RESTRICTORS OF BLACK AND RED
B -- Sex Link Barring-- dominate. "puts" white bars on the feather. Best example Barred Plymouth Rocks. Males can have 1 or 2 genes. Hence dark and light barred males. Females only 1. Males pass trait to sons and daughters. Females pass trait on to sons. Also effects red by having white bars on red feather. Best example Creel Old English Game.
mo -- Mottled --recessive. Makes a black bar with white spot below, at end of feather. Another one of my favorites. Without it I would only have Black and Buff Columbian (changes a black bird to a Mottled and a Buff Columbian bird to a Mille Fleur) .
DILUTERS OF BLACK AND GOLD
cc -- Recessive white --Changes both black and red to white. Working with recessive white can be tricky as it "white washes" a bird. It may have the phenotype of a totally different color or even a nonstandard color underneath the white. The only way to determine what the white is hiding is to mate it to a black bird. You can get barred, polecats, etc.
lav -- lavender.-- recessive. Black becomes gray and red feathers become cream.
rs -- red-splashed white. recessive Reported by Quinn (1934) A bird with 2 genes is reported to be white with splashes of red and black. Know nothing about this one either.
SEX LINK GOLD
G- --This is the second basic color of chickens (Black is the first) This makes for a buff colored bird (along with another gene) or causes the red in the red areas of the red and black bird.
ENHANCERS OF GOLD
ar -- Autosomal Red. -- Reported by Hutt (1949) In theory only. Independent of Sex Link Gold (red) as Silver doesn't effect it. Suggested that this makes for the Golden Duckwing Group. Personally know nothing about it. But suspect that Mh (mahogany) might do the same trick.
Mh --Mahogany. -- dominate. Makes for a dark red bird. Best known example : Rhode Island Red.
RESTRICTORS OF GOLD
S -- Sex Link Silver Incomplete dominate. Opposite of Sex Linked Gold. Changes gold to silver. Females have one gene. Males have 2 (or can have 1 of each). If a male has 1 for gold and one for silver his saddle and hackle is creamish. Changes a Black Breasted Red to Silver Duckwing or a Golden Sebright to a Silver Sebright.
DILUTERS OF GOLD
ig -- cream recessive. Reported by Punnett (1948) Described as introducing a rich cream to gold or a pale silver to silver. Know nothing about this one.
Di -- Dilute-- dominate Reported by Brumbaugh and Hollander Makes a red/gold bird into a buff. Another one that I haven't worked with.
cb -- champagne blond -- recessive. Also reported by Brumbaugh and Hollander. Reported to do the same as above. I tend to support this for Buffs from some breeding/crossing that I have done with Buff Plymouth Rocks, that there is a recessive gene that dilutes gold to a warm buff.
However some authors -- Somes and Smyth (1965) report that buffs carry a suppressor of red.
SECONDARY PATTERNS
Ab -- autosomal barring.
Lg -- lacing. dominate gives the Partridge Plymouth Rock females the lacing pattern. Same for Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks.
Sp -- spangling. dominate. Jeffery call this trait a pattern. I think of it as black restrictor. It removes black from all of the feather except the very end making a black inverted V. Best known examples Silver Spangled Hamburg and Golden Spangled Hamburg.
Above information found on ultimatefowl. com/wiki/
Chris
Last edited:
Thats amazing! Im not new at this, and i learned some things.
Thank you! I agree, this needs to be a sticky.
- Thread starter
- #39
The sticky is under:
Notable Reference & Breed Thread Discussions at the top of the Breeds, Genetics, & Showing page.
Various Diagrams on parts of a Chicken: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=343605
Chris
Notable Reference & Breed Thread Discussions at the top of the Breeds, Genetics, & Showing page.
Various Diagrams on parts of a Chicken: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=343605
Chris
- Thread starter
- #40
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