Exchequer Leghorns in Bantam? (found pictures of KS)

[Krys109uk]

Oh they're PRETTY.

I can see why your first thought was exchequer.
Are the bronze/brown spots always on the hackles. Please will you describe the usual placement of the bronze/brown spots on each sex. What colour is the chick down, please will you describe. I'm asking this because I'm thinking it possible that they're ER at the e-locus.

I did some work to investigate the extreme mottling pattern of the exchequers. Dr Carefoot, after crossing Exchequer Leghorns & Anconas, had proposed exchequer pattern was due to mottling plus modifying genes but Smyth Jr. had suggested, from the results, there could be incompletely dominant alleles.

 

[L&Schickens]

On the KS that my chicks are from both sexes have more bronze/brown spots then the ones pictured. I wish I could find the picture I had!!
Also, they are more white then the ones pictured.
I do not have my chicks yet, but will post pictures when I get them.

 

[L&Schickens]

here are the chicks. there are 6 of them.

 

[Krys109uk]

The places where the brown/bronze spots occur & chick down colour is relatively important as it gives an idea of a particular gene.

It is most likely that the birds you use to outcross will be what is known as extended black which is dominant to the other alternative genes. So while you would see the mottling from the offspring of the outcross the brown/bronze probably would not show in that generation.
Exchequer would be the best outcross colour wise but, depending upon the correct size & weight for the KS, bantam Ancona would probably do the trick.

To get the best advantage of the new genes, personally, I'd put an exchequer male on KS females (call this mating A) & put a KS male onto some exchequer females (call this mating B). Then take the best female offspring from mating A & with the pure KS male which you used for mating B. Also take the best male offspring from mating B & put to the pure KS females which you used in mating A .....if that makes sense. From these mating you will start to get back to KS culling rigorously for any problems....the brown/bronze spots ought to reappear in some of the offspring of the second round of matings.

 

[Krys109uk]

Thanks for the chick pics.....sweet
I think they must be ER as I thought, as mottling does not normally look like that on other alleles at the e-locus apart from E (extended black). Brown/bronze spots probably wouldn't occur on E birds but would on ER.

 

[L&Schickens]

Krys109uk you are a wealth of knowledge. I will copy and paste what you wrote so I can remember it. The man I got these chicks from has had a very hard time with genetic disease in them and they are hard to keep alive. I forgot what one of the diseases is, but it is a genetic one that kills adult birds. Also, the eggs rarely developed and hatch. These six and some more he kept are all he has ever hatched in the 3 years he has owned the birds. He had 2 roos and 8 hens to start with and he is down to 2 roos and 4 hens. He bought them from a breeder in Kentucky.
So, strengthening the gene pool is important I think. Especially since they are very rare and hard to find.

 

[L&Schickens]

I found the pictures of the Kentucky Specks that these chicks are from. yeah!!

You can see these are a lot more "color" then the others.

 

[Krys109uk]

They are beautiful

How nice that you are working to save them.
You will need to be very careful to cull rigorously any birds showing any weakness.

BTW When I did the work with exchequers I found mottling & at least one other gene. If you have to use Anconas you may find genes segregating out which will show as variation in the degree of mottling. I'm sure you'll be able to select for colour as well as type by eye.

I hope all goes well. They really are lovely looking birds. Please give updates.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

I just wanted to say that according to the ABA SOP there are exchequer leghorns in bantam.

 

[L&Schickens]

^^O good. Now I just have to find some on my side of the pond.