Is there anything fun I can do with ...

[Sparklee]

I got a couple of Austra White (Australorp X White Leghorn) pullets this last spring. Down was white/yellow with maybe 5-8 randomly-placed little black dots. Adult plumage is a white bird with a few black feathers where the dots were on the down, with black legs also. The white feathers are very lightly peppered with black which isn't noticeable unless you are really close up.

One of these pullets has developed gray splotches instead of black. So I'm wondering if I could make something interesting next spring with this bird with crossings. Can I pull the blue (or lavender or whatever) out and make another color of hen to join my little flock?

Btw, what is the gray? Is it blue? Is it lavender? Is it something else?

 

[nicalandia]

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what you described is a heterozygous Dominant white bird.(only one copy of Dominant white coming from white leghorn parent)

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Sorry no Lavender in them, white leghorns are known to hide andalusian blue(Bl/Bl) sex link Silver, Mottling and Barring. they don't show that because Dominant white hides them all...

 

[Sparklee]

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Thank you for your reply.

So do you happen to know why the splotches on one hen are black and the other hen has gray splotches?

Also, if the Hetero (I assume) dominant white hides all that other stuff, why doesn't the dominant white hide the black splotches also?

 

[draye]

Also, if the Hetero (I assume) dominant white hides all that other stuff, why doesn't the dominant white hide the black splotches also?

White is really black!​

 

[nicalandia]

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Because your chicks are Heterozygotes and don't have 2 copies of Domiant white. so they are "Leaking" color thru. why some have black and some have blue spots? your white leghorns could be Heterozygous for the Andalusian Blue gene(Bl/bl+) giving you 50% chance of black leakage and 50% blue leakage..

 

[Sparklee]

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Okay. That's a relief. That's making more sense to me now.

So I'm going to guess that she's got some blue in her on some level.

Anyway, I appreciate your help. Thanks.

 

[Sparklee]

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Ha. Ultimately.

 

[nicalandia]

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Okay. That's a relief. That's making more sense to me now.

So I'm going to guess that she's got some blue in her on some level.

Anyway, I appreciate your help. Thanks.

that is correct, she can be blue, barred, mottled and not show it because Dominant white is hiding it.. Dominant white is a powerful melanin diluter

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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Because your chicks are Heterozygotes and don't have 2 copies of Domiant white. so they are "Leaking" color thru. why some have black and some have blue spots? your white leghorns could be Heterozygous for the Andalusian Blue gene(Bl/bl+) giving you 50% chance of black leakage and 50% blue leakage..

Also, dominant white is a VERY leaky gene, whereas recessive white is far less leaky.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

White (regardless of whether dominant or recessive) is an OFF switch that prevents the expression of colour & pattern genes that are present in the bird.