Interesting surprise Japanese Bantam chick

[TheChickenFanatic]

How many hens and roosters in the pen of parents?

This is definitely an interesting puzzle, trying to think of what might be going on here.

Interesting thought. It would be exciting if it was, but easier to figure out if it is not!


Interesting observation with your chicks. And I think I need to go read that entire article on barring sometime soon

I have 3 hens with 3 roosters (I rotate each rooster each day, I don't have all the boys in there at once). Two hens are laying, two roosters aren't mature yet, so I only have one rooster mating with 2 hens.

 

[TheChickenFanatic]

Also, update on the chick: the feathers are coming in as blue. I will try to get a picture of the chick today for you.

 

[NatJ]

I have 3 hens with 3 roosters (I rotate each rooster each day, I don't have all the boys in there at once). Two hens are laying, two roosters aren't mature yet, so I only have one rooster mating with 2 hens.

So only two hens and 1 rooster that could possibly be the parents, and you got one odd chick with 50+ normal chicks. Hmm.

I think that could point to a combination of several recessive genes working together. Or perhaps a new mutation, but that seems pretty unlikely.

If it was something as simple as one recessive gene carried by one hen and the rooster, it should have shown up in several of the chicks by the time you have this many.

I wonder if one of your immature males has started mating with hens? If this is one of his first chicks, you may see more soon, which might make it easier to figure out what is going on.

Also, update on the chick: the feathers are coming in as blue. I will try to get a picture of the chick today for you.

Is there any chance that one of the parents is actually dark blue instead of black?

 

[Saaniya]

I placed some Barred Japanese Bantam eggs in the incubator last month. All of the chicks hatched, and look normal, but this little one is throwing me off. It has a yellow head, with Lavender fluff, and a dark blue streak on its back. What color is this called? And how is this even possible with Barred JB parents? The parents were in a separate pen, no other breeds or JB colors were in the pen. View attachment 4088308View attachment 4088310

a cutie
love japanese bantam they are super cute chooks

 

[TheChickenFanatic]

So only two hens and 1 rooster that could possibly be the parents, and you got one odd chick with 50+ normal chicks. Hmm.

I think that could point to a combination of several recessive genes working together. Or perhaps a new mutation, but that seems pretty unlikely.

If it was something as simple as one recessive gene carried by one hen and the rooster, it should have shown up in several of the chicks by the time you have this many.

I wonder if one of your immature males has started mating with hens? If this is one of his first chicks, you may see more soon, which might make it easier to figure out what is going on.


Is there any chance that one of the parents is actually dark blue instead of black?

Yeah, it's so weird! I'm so confused how this happened.

Possibly. I doubt it, though. I haven't seen either one of them try to mount the hens.

 

[TheChickenFanatic]

Not the best picture, but here's my breeding pair:

Mature roo:

A roo from my bachelor pen (not currently breeding him):

Some offspring I have hatched:

More offspring as chicks (with a blue silkie up front):

 

[gimmie birdies]

A Japanese rooster won my heart to roosters. I had hens, but no rooster at one point. I went to the fair, and there was a Japanese rooster crowing up a storm. I went over to him, and said..."You think a lot about yourself, don'tcha?" He looked at me with his one eye and did his scoop dance toward me, wing down. It was love at first sight.

 

[TheChickenFanatic]

A Japanese rooster won my heart to roosters. I had hens, but no rooster at one point. I went to the fair, and there was a Japanese rooster crowing up a storm. I went over to him, and said..."You think a lot about yourself, don'tcha?" He looked at me with his one eye and did his scoop dance toward me, wing down. It was love at first sight.

Aww!! Yes, I LOVE Japanese Bantams! They are the best!!

 

[NatJ]

Yeah, it's so weird! I'm so confused how this happened.

Possibly. I doubt it, though. I haven't seen either one of them try to mount the hens.

Definitely weird.

At this point, the only "useful" things I can think of are to watch how this one grows, and see if any others appear in later hatches Sometimes the answer is obvious at some point later, and sometimes it never is.

 

[Slothinc]

Following to see what this chick turns out to be! What a cute chick down pattern and so mysterious!