Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

No. If the diluted black gene is present, it is VISIBLE and the bird is blue or splash (2 copies). It's possible (likely) it started that way as a genetic mutation/defect, but relying on that when purposefully breeding, doesn't work very well.

Breeding Black and Blue can get Blue 50% of the time BECAUSE the Blue comes from the Blue parent.

Black can be thought of as NOT Blue. For Blue to be seen, it HAS to be one Blue and one Not Blue. Splash is one Blue and one Blue. Black is one Not Blue and one Not Blue


Going back to my birds

PITA and Blanche are both Blue and Blue.
Therefore ALL their offspring will get Blue from mama. What each of those offspring get from papa, depends upon papa. Cheetah (skipping the other colors he has) is Not Blue and Not Blue.
View attachment 4020223
All of his offspring will get Not Blue from him.
Lark and Indigo show Blue because they have to be Not Blue AND Blue.
View attachment 4020224View attachment 4020225View attachment 4020227whView attachment 4020226when both girls got the Not Blue from their daddy, they also got some leakage of other colors in the orange.

Zulu, Cheetah's offspring by one of his blue daughters got Not Blue (with other colors) and Blue (with other colors)View attachment 4020228View attachment 4020230He also got the rooster color vibrancy of being ZZ (roo genetics) rather than the ZW of hen genetics. The Z tends to carry much of the color, explaining why roos are more vibrant than hens (double whammy). Would have been interesting to see how his genetics would have played out, but due to the presence of his mother, grandmother and father/grandfather, he was on the rehome/freezer list.

Still wondering how he got willow green legs from grandparents' blue legs....but from what I've read, legs genetics are semi-unpredictable.

Okay, so. my head is spinning a bit...though it makes (mostly) sense. What I am really enjoying about this, though, is the pictures of all the gorgeous colors that pop, regardless of why/how genetically!

 

[Sylvester017]

@CCsGarden ~ I LOVE birds! DH sent this to me, had to share this Chick-a-boom teehee!

 

[rural mouse]

Ooooh THANK YOU!!!!
It is so cool to understand Piglet a bit more.
One question, just to make sure I understand. Does 'Split to lavender' mean only one copy of the lavender gene?
And you know she has two copies because it is a recessive gene, so you would only see it if she had two copies, otherwise she would look like a regular Crested Cream Legbar. Did I get that right?

I know she also has two copies of the gluttony gene - but I guess that doesn't affect her feather color, only her behavior!

I didn't find any good shed feathers this morning, but got a couple of slightly better pictures showing her 'washed out' markings.

Definitely a pretty chicken IMHO!
View attachment 4020418
View attachment 4020420

you Got it!!!

 

[rural mouse]

The chuckle is for the double gluttony gene comment


On another thought - Laverne is a lavender Orp and seems to have that shredded feathers issue. And think that is also related to the lavender gene…. Am I right?

Correct. Oddly, it seems to be more associated with the black base rather than the black breasted red base of the Isabel variant. As popular as lavender is, I'm sure breeders are working on that. It may be more connected to orpington soft feathers vs hard feathers more commonly found in Mediterranean type breeds. Breeding experiment: black minorca or Ancona breeding lavender in to see if does the same feather shredding.

 

[SimpleJenn]

My Sapphire Splash hen had feather shredding too.



She was much paler than my blue hen Ash.

 

[Ponypoor]

I am very jealous about the willows. I love willows and don't have any here even though I live on the edge of a swamp!
You know that they have all sorts of amazing properties. If you soak their cut twigs in water it create a pretty effective rooting powder to help take cuttings.
Also, just push a small branch in the ground and it will grow. Willow is the usual type of tree to create living structures - fences and so forth. Just push some sticks in the ground and weave them together. I thought of buying willow just to create my living gazebo for the chickens, but decided to go with the pears that are on hand. But a willow would be seriously wonderful. Maybe I can figure out where to put one!

Willow tax: Calypso greeting the chilly morning.
View attachment 4020427

Find some one with a willow tree this Spring, cut a branch about 2” thick and 8 to 10’ long and cut it off the tree.

Soak the cut end in a tall bucket for about a week in the shade, so it doesn’t get dried out. Once you start to see roots popping out, dig a hole deep enough to handle those roots and then once filled in throw the water at it. I would also stake it up the first year.

That’s also how you can start Poplars.

We cut a 10 to 12’ whip soak the ends in a barrel of water until you see roots then plant. Those trees grow fast! Willows almost as fast.

I would plant a willow here near the barn but the roots get into the well and wrap around pipes and electrical conduit. So be careful were you plant willows. Don’t do it next to your house, well, septic system….

Lavender Laverne

 

[BY Bob]

I honestly think a Mimosa would do well with you. Care might need to be taken the first year or so but they grow fast. Ours handle the cold really well. We can get some seriously cold and snowy weather as well. 2 years ago single digits with wind chill below 0 for a good 2 weeks. I have saw pictures of your chickens in standing water. A mimosa would thrive there. If you have a creek, plant them along your creek bank. I am horribly allergic to them but once established they do a wonderful job of keeping our backyard from washing away when we get flooded. Honestly I only hate the trees for about 3 weeks out of the year when they are in bloom. They provide a good shade, and they are lovely when they are covered in their flowers. Hummingbirds also love them and swarm the tree's when they are in bloom.

I think that is what I'm going to replace the birch tree with this spring. The girls could use the shade again and as you said they grow fast.

 

[fuentemoon]

Hmmm I think birch also like more boggy soil so it did well for 50 yrs.

I might move my rhododendron bushes up to the Rooster Run, has anyone used them around chooks? I don’t think they would try to eat the leaves do you?

Our old house had a row of them, it was shelter #2, never had a issue.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh, right! The lavender Orpington egg! Have you asked the place where you got the eggs what she might be? Do you know all the breeds they carry?

Yes. I shared the list of other breeds they sold a while ago. They denied she could even be theirs. Tried to claim she was a meat bird. They're had to have been someone involved who is not on the for sale list. None of the combinations of what they sold would have resulted in a chicken that looks like her.

 

[featherhead007]

It’s really cold out here today. I’m glad I have my warm cup of Coco to keep me from getting chilled.