Is it possible to have mottle on a brown base?

[Silverwulfess]

I just got a new Silkie, who I believe is partridge or similar type colour. She does have small spots of white. Is it possible this is mottling? I’ve only seen black based mottled before. Or is it something else?

 

[Chikyboy]

I just got a new Silkie, who I believe is partridge or similar type colour. She does have small spots of white. Is it possible this is mottling? I’ve only seen black based mottled before. Or is it something else?

Mottling can be on different colors besides black. I am not sure if it can be on partridge

 

[Silverwulfess]

Mottling can be on different colors besides black. I am not sure if it can be on partridge

That’s what I thought too, so the white splashes, especially on the back of her head, have me stumped lol

 

[NatJ]

Is it possible this is mottling? I’ve only seen black based mottled before.

Mottling is also found on Mille Fleur colored chickens, and Speckled Sussex, and various other breeds. Mottling seems to make a white tip on the feather, then a black band, then the rest of the feather is whatever color the other genes tell it to be. On a black chicken, the black band is not obvious because the rest of the feather is black. On a gold chicken (like Mille Fleur), the black is obvious because it contrasts with the gold.

I do not know for sure if your chicken has mottling or not.
If she does have mottling, she will probably get more white each time she molts, because that is normal with mottled chickens.

 

[Silverwulfess]

Mottling is also found on Mille Fleur colored chickens, and Speckled Sussex, and various other breeds. Mottling seems to make a white tip on the feather, then a black band, then the rest of the feather is whatever color the other genes tell it to be. On a black chicken, the black band is not obvious because the rest of the feather is black. On a gold chicken (like Mille Fleur), the black is obvious because it contrasts with the gold.

I do not know for sure if your chicken has mottling or not.
If she does have mottling, she will probably get more white each time she molts, because that is normal with mottled chickens.

Mille fleur with the black band is a bit different and a combination of genes. From what I understand you need the pattern gene, the Colombian gene and the mottling gene all in conjunction. So mottling on its own won’t cause the Mille fleur pattern.

I have seen black based mottled chooks, but unsure how the mottling gene alone would express on the brown base as haven’t seen it, though she does appear to have PG as well, so if she is mottled, will be two out of three towards Mille fleur at least. I’m really hoping to introduce a project Mille fleur Silkie pen to my yard sometime in the future, this was a blind pick up I was curious about.

I’ll definitely be seeing how she molts out and may try and find a Mille fleur Pekin and see if the colour reproduces in the chicks for confirmation. So hard to find the colour here however and haven’t had much luck on my Mille fleur shipped eggs received so far sadly!

 

[NatJ]

Mille fleur with the black band is a bit different and a combination of genes. From what I understand you need the pattern gene, the Colombian gene and the mottling gene all in conjunction. So mottling on its own won’t cause the Mille fleur pattern.

From what I've read, Mille Fleur should be mottling and Columbian, but not pattern gene.

https://www.researchgate.net/public...x_Plumage_Color_Patterns_in_the_Domestic_Fowl

This paper from 1979 is heavy reading, but the author thinks they pretty well proved that the white tip AND the black bar are caused by the mottling gene.

(If that link doesn't work, the paper can be found by searching for the title and author on google: The Mottling Gene, the Basis of Six Plumage Color Patterns in the Domestic Fowl, by Ralph G. Somes)