How in the world did these chicks have these colors?

[britesidefarm]

Well about 3 1/2 weeks ago, we had two Cochin mixes hatch. Both were white with slight black markings on the wings. Well today I just got back from a mini vacation for Thanksgiving which I was on for only a week, and found these two have gotten what looks like Lavender or splash! I’m extremely confused as the presumed father is a white tailed red Cochin x Polish/leghorn mix, while the mother is a black Cochin. The father of the father is a birchen pseudo white with buff leakage. I’m assuming the black Cochin mother must carry some kind of blue/splash/lavender gene, but haven’t a clue!

The first (pics 1-3) are of one that I’m holding off on sexing since Cochins tend to be early bloomers, and the second (4-6) I am already 98% sure is a pullet. Both are keepers no matter the sex

Here is mother, father, and grandfather

(Extreme molt pic from earlier this fall)

I am nearly positive the white tailed red Cochin x is the dad since he was all over the hen when I took the eggs, but there is two other possible fathers. A black frizzle Cochin (obviously not the dad) and a silver laced Sebright cockerel.

How do you think the lavender/splash chicks got their colors? Are they even lav/splash at all?

 

[Poultrybonkers]

It's not lavender kinda looks like mauve

 

[britesidefarm]

It's not lavender kinda looks like mauve

I can definitely see where you think that, and honestly they could be. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I can definitely see where you think that, and honestly they could be. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

Then again only males can be split to chocolate hens are either chocolate or not so might be a washed out color of the blond looking roo but idk

 

[ColtHandorf]

They do look very Mauve to me also, but I only have one Mauve hen and didn't breed her.

You can see her in these pictures...

Mauve would indicate Chocolate and Blue at play. Perhaps @The Moonshiner, @Amer, or @nicalandia could deduce what's going on.

 

[britesidefarm]

I can see where everybody is thinking Mauve here as the photos seem like they’re nearly a chocolate/gray kind of color. I’ll try to get better pictures that shows that they don’t look nearly cream from the naked eye.

 

[ColtHandorf]

The color is a bit reminiscent of the color Salmon Faverolle pullets have when they begin to feather out too. It's not quite the same, but I wonder if the pattern/gene is there from the paternal side of the family. And of course who knows what the Black on the cochin is covering.

 

[britesidefarm]

Here’s some photos in better lighting.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Not that I'm any expert.. but that looks like splash to me. Given the parents you showed though I can't explain how you'd get splash from them ..

Unless the mom is actually a very dark blue?
And the dad would also have to be blue or splash..

 

[britesidefarm]

Not that I'm any expert.. but that looks like splash to me. Given the parents you showed though I can't explain how you'd get splash from them ..

Unless the mom is actually a very dark blue?
And the dad would also have to be blue or splash..

I agree. I haven’t a clue how they got these colors. Mom is a black as when I breed her with a white roo, we only get black / whites