Mottled Brahma?

[Rhodebar Lover]

Purchased some chicks from Carolina Rare Chicks. The different varieties of Brahmas were labeled by leg band, but from day one this one didn't look black like it was supposed to be. It's coloring looked like a Light Brahma chick, but then he started getting in the black feathers, so I dismissed my confusion. Now, he is getting in many more white juvenile feathers and on his chest the feathers seem to be white tipped, very similar to the way my Mottled Javas feathered in. What are mottled genetics? I understand that two split parents could throw mottled chicks, but from a breeder that doesn't breed mottled, this seems odd. Does he just have an abundance of white juvenile plumage? What's the difference between leakage and actually being mottled? Sorry, I'm just curious as to what he will turn out like. (Last picture is of another Black Brahma for plumage comparison)

 

[nicalandia]

The chick down and feathers are true mottling. Mottling can hide on Black lines for generations without knowing

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

So I thought I'd update! He ended up being black like he was supposed to be! He grew out of the mottling. He does have a greyish tinge though, more so than other black breeds so I thought perhaps he isn't dominant black (if that's the right terminology.) He finally got the beetle green tinge too, so maybe his chick down was unusual!

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

@nicalandia, sorry this is an old thread of mine but I have been thinking, is there any chance he had the smoky gene? I can find such little information on it. I had two cockerels that had the unusable chick down and did mature out to be more dusky in color. I have since rehomed them but I do have a hen of the same variety. Here are is a picture of the cockerels' feathers. What causes white only going to half the feather? This was the case for most body feathers as well. Half greyish and turned darker. I always assumed it was the profuse down of Brahmas but I'm wondering now if that's not the case...

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

@RoostersAreAwesome @The Moonshiner Sorry for tagging more people, but the more I think about this, the more curious I am. Are he and his brother just impure for extended black? Are they just lacking some eumelanin enhancers?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

@RoostersAreAwesome @The Moonshiner Sorry for tagging more people, but the more I think about this, the more curious I am. Are he and his brother just impure for extended black? Are they just lacking some eumelanin enhancers?

I don’t know, though I agree with you that he isn’t mottled and doesn’t carry mottling either. @Amer ?

You don’t have to apologize for tagging me.

 

[Amer]

It is common for black Wyandotte males to have white undercolor. This smaller amount of melanin is caused because in order to get females without black in their yellow shanks, you must breed birds with less pigment in their plumage. This lack of pigment isn’t desirable but it is useful for the yellow shanks.

 

[Amer]

Black Wyandottes are partridge (eb) based with many melanizers to my knowledge to allow the yellow shanks, so I imagine black Brahmas are the same way.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

It is common for black Wyandotte males to have white undercolor. This smaller amount of melanin is caused because in order to get females without black in their yellow shanks, you must breed birds with less pigment in their plumage. This lack of pigment isn’t desirable but it is useful for the yellow shanks.

That makes perfect sense! My hen does indeed have yellow legs unlike many yellow-skinned black birds. Thanks!!

 

[Mr Spot]

Purchased some chicks from Carolina Rare Chicks. The different varieties of Brahmas were labeled by leg band, but from day one this one didn't look black like it was supposed to be. It's coloring looked like a Light Brahma chick, but then he started getting in the black feathers, so I dismissed my confusion. Now, he is getting in many more white juvenile feathers and on his chest the feathers seem to be white tipped, very similar to the way my Mottled Javas feathered in. What are mottled genetics? I understand that two split parents could throw mottled chicks, but from a breeder that doesn't breed mottled, this seems odd. Does he just have an abundance of white juvenile plumage? What's the difference between leakage and actually being mottled? Sorry, I'm just curious as to what he will turn out like. (Last picture is of another Black Brahma for plumage comparison)

If he does turn out mottled, I bet he will be beautiful.