Is this gold in my silver/black mix cockerel???

pips&peeps

There is no "I" in Ameraucana
Jan 18, 2008
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Newman Lake, WA
Ok, I am doing a breeding project and crossed a silver ameraucana with a couple black hens to improve size.

I am trying to select the best cockerel to breed back to the silver hens, but I am befuddled by some subtle color changes in the feathers on the wings of my F1 cockerels......

Is this gold on my silver bird?????? I don't know if the black hens I used carried gold. Could it just be a little discoloration because it is a tiny amount of silver on mostly black feathers?

Thanks,
5845_57.jpg
 
pips&peeps :

Ok, I am doing a breeding project and crossed a silver ameraucana with a couple black hens to improve size.

I am trying to select the best cockerel to breed back to the silver hens, but I am befuddled by some subtle color changes in the feathers on the wings of my F1 cockerels......

Is this gold on my silver bird?????? I don't know if the black hens I used carried gold. Could it just be a little discoloration because it is a tiny amount of silver on mostly black feathers?

Thanks,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/5845_57.jpg

It is faint but I think it might be...
Your Black Hen could have some Brown Red in its background or as far as that go's Silver could have some Brown Red in its background also.


Chris​
 
The feathers on the wing are gold appearing. I can't tell if it is gold or silver because there is some distortion because the whole feather is not silver; just the tips.
 
If I see it , its very faint . Shouldn't you expect up to 25% gold duckwings in the 3rd gen from crossing black into the silvers ? Or can that be avoided with certain genotypes ?
 
Females only carry silver or gold, not both.

But the males can carry both silver and gold and express just one or both. I would prefer not to have any gold in my silver line. I think the second generation would throw gold if it is there.
 
pips&peeps :

Females only carry silver or gold, not both.

But the males can carry both silver and gold and express just one or both. I would prefer not to have any gold in my silver line. I think the second generation would throw gold if it is there.

Thanks Jean , good to thing to know . I sure understand your not wanting gold in the silvers and hope you're not seeing it here . I'm no expert by any means ; but thought gold would be hidden in blacks and seldom crop out , then start showing up with a cross to a silver . I've still got alot to learn .​
 
Jean, I was looking over some of the older threads that I posted on and found this one.
Just checking for an update. Did this one turn out with gold on him after all or is he going to work for you?
 
It does not have to be red pigmentation expressed by the gold allelle. The color could be caused by autosomal red. The shoulders is where the red pigments usually begin to show in heterozygous (split) silver/gold males. As the males get older, they will show more red in the hackles and saddle feathers. My heterozygous silver/gold black ameraucana hybrids produced cream colored hackles with some buff/red on the shoulders.

Even if he carries the gold allele-half of his female offspring will carry silver. It really does not matter if your trying to produce a black bird. I do not know if it is factual but according to some breeders- the birds with the best green sheen carry gold.

Tim
 
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