Help identifying what type of peafowl we have.

[edamaske]

Since you have inherited this flock, we have no idea how many generations have been breeding together. It is possible that all your wild types already carry recessive Black shoulder genes. If both parents are wild type but both carry the B.S. gene then the offspring would be 1/4 pure wild type, 1/2 would be wild type split(carrying) B.S. , and 1/4 would be Black shoulder.  The B.S. hen Lady Jane carries 2 B.S. genes and 0 wild type genes, if she breeds with the B.S. male all offspring will be B. S. and if she breeds with a wild type split(carrying) B.S. they will be 1/2 wild type and 1/2 B.S., and if she bred with a pure wild type all offspring will be wild type split(carrying) B.S. When a Pea carries a single gene for something we say they are split to that. Hope the abbreviations aren't too confusing. Its really just simple dominant vs. recessive genetics.

It does make since now that I have an idea on who is what. We did have what I think now was a white B.S. male that hatched with the other two in spring but he didn't make the winter

So that hen was wild type split B.S?

 

[DylansMom]

It does make since now that I have an idea on who is what. We did have what I think now was a white B.S. male that hatched with the other two in spring but he didn't make the winter

So that hen was wild type split B.S?

All Black Shoulder chicks hatch white, well actually yellow, at about a week you can see just a blush of pinkish color on their wing feathers. As they grow up they color in. Wild type chicks hatch a tan/brown color. So... yes both parents had to have been B.S or split B.S. for there to have been a B.S. chick.

 

[edamaske]

It does make since now that I have an idea on who is what. We did have what I think now was a white B.S. male that hatched with the other two in spring but he didn't make the winter

So that hen was wild type split B.S?

 

[DylansMom]

Yes she was, that B.S. chick appears to be female though not male. If it were a male you should be seeing darker coloring coming in by this age.

 

[edamaske]

All Black Shoulder chicks hatch white, well actually yellow, at about a week you can see just a blush of pinkish color on their wing feathers. As they grow up they color in. Wild type chicks hatch a tan/brown color. So... yes both parents had to have been B.S or split B.S. for there to have been a B.S. chick.

Good to know!! Are B.S a little less hearty I geuss is what I'm looking for? I had 4 yellow chick's none made it. One the mom pushed away, we tryed to catch it but they are fast litte buggers and we are sounded by 90 acres of nature conservancy the chick kept going further out in the wrong direction. The other one I think a critter got it and two we lost to the cold.
This year we are going to catch the chick's after a few days....

 

[edamaske]

Yes she was, that B.S. chick appears to be female though not male. If it were a male you should be seeing darker coloring coming in by this age.

This is the same chick as above just a younger picture. We lot it in December

 

[DylansMom]

This is the same chick as above just a younger picture. We lot it in December

Hmmm, was it's neck turning blue when you lost it? Usually a male will have a good bit of blue by 6 months or so, it still looks like a hen to me. My first Peas were Black Shoulders, and I've always had some since then, 20 years now. I've always thought they were quite hearty. The lighter coloring could make the young ones more easily spotted by predators though.

Here is a B.S. hen with her 4 month old chicks. 2 are male and 1 is a female, note the blue/green on the boys necks.

 

[edamaske]

Hmmm, was it's neck turning blue when you lost it? Usually a male will have a good bit of blue by 6 months or so, it still looks like a hen to me. My first Peas were Black Shoulders, and I've always had some since then, 20 years now. I've always thought they were quite hearty. The lighter coloring could make the young ones more easily spotted by predators though. Here is a B.S. hen with her 4 month old chicks. 2 are male and 1 is a female, note the blue/green on the boys necks.

Yeah I'm thinking it was a female from your pictures. It differently was a baby, made lots of noise when it couldn't be next to mama

 

[edamaske]

How about this guy, B.S?

9

 

[DylansMom]

How about this guy, B.S? 9

If you see striped wing and shoulder feathers it is a wild type male. The Black Shoulder name is a misnomer, it should be "solid wing" as they are seldom black. If they are split to B.S. they will often develop a patch of solid colored feathers up around the shoulder, as they get older the patch usually becomes more obvious. This fellow appears to have white flight feathers(the longest wing feathers) this indicates another split. Most likely would be split to white, but split to pied or split to White Eye, are also possibilities.

This is my Poppie, he is an India Blue Black Shoulder split to White and White Eye, note his wings and shoulders are more solid green than black when he's in the sun, the iridescence on the B.S males is stunning to me. He has the white flight feathers like yours' and also some feathers with white tips which is a give away for the White Eye.




I was assuming your flock was just IB's and B.S.'s , however you could have some interesting genetics there. If he is split white and there are any hens that are split white you could get all white Peas, I have a couple of them.