Is this a defect? Please advise about my Blue Orpingtons!

[DawnSuiter]

Here is another blue... he doesn't have the variation in the feathers.. just the brassy neck

and here in the Breeds, Genetics & Showing forum there is a thread with 4 pages plus of blue chickens... almost NONE show this defect in their plumage.

 

[pips&peeps]

Dawn if this is the rooster you are using to breed with, then you are breeding with a bird that has some red leakage and his offspring will also have that red leakage.

Blues do tend to get that brownish red color on old sun burned feathers, but they can also have red leakage.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Are you talking about brassiness, or about the uneven blue colouring (as in some feathers are considerably darker than others)?

edited to add: It takes very little UV exposure to turn feathers brassy. My grey hen is finally molting--she looked partridge her feathers had so bronzed--and she is never in the sun--always in a darkish shaded area.

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
the uneven blue coloring is what is bothering me... some are beige, tan, brown, blue, grey, smoky... like a cornucopia of color


PIPS - no that is not the rooster, he is unrelated and is part Australorp and is with black australorp hens. I was simply trying to illustrate how all of his feathers are the same color (sans leakage)

The hen in the photo in question I paid A LOT of money for her and her siblings from a very reputable breeder. I did expect for an even color tone.
I am at a loss how she could get sunburn on only some feathers and not others.... not to mention how little sun exposure she and her siblings have had compared to other blues on the property who DO NOT have this same "problem"

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

My best guess is that she is a different e-allele; probably e^b rather than E.

 

[pips&peeps]

I was going to say he looked "australorpie", but didn't want to step on any toes.

I wonder if you do a cross to a recessive white, if you would be able to determine if the bird was carrying any red? I think I read that red is about the only color that will leak in recessive white.....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

pips&peeps :

I was going to say he looked "australorpie", but didn't want to step on any toes.

I wonder if you do a cross to a recessive white, if you would be able to determine if the bird was carrying any red? I think I read that red is about the only color that will leak in recessive white.....

That would be dominant white, not recessive. If anything, recessive tends to leak an occasional black/blue feather. Seems to occur more often as a bird gets old.​

 

[DawnSuiter]

I have recessive whites... 4 girls 1 boy... all nice. hmmmmm I'm not sure I follow you yet.. but it sounds interesting so far..

as far as the Australorpington... yeah I really dig him... he is mating with my Black Aussies and I plan to have a nice big bunch of utility black & blue aussies too here. It is my hope that mating with the black will help with the lack of melanizers that are turning him rusty in the neck.



added: OH DRAG.. nope no dominant whites here... I WISH!!! Don't even know where to find one!

 

[pips&peeps]

White Leghorn

 

[DawnSuiter]

thanks! oh... well those are easy to come by I'm sure.
this would tell me if the blue is carrying red? But all chicken feathers red or black though, so they ALL carry these colors....
what would I learn if I did this?