Mottled Cochin's

[spook]

I posted this on the Oxford, ME TSC Chickenstock page because its been a questionable situation of who's who and whats not working.
Here is the link to that page of the forum

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2202132#p2202132

I am about 5th down. Its a gray mottled hen and a black with white mottled rooster. These are both from the "Rau" line here in Maine, breed for squat, full tails and that fluffy "slipper" look.

Never knew that I had something special, so as I've gone along, I've wanted babies from these two and finally the day has come!
Contact! 5 out of 6 eggs are fertile.
Now, what do you think will be the look of the chicks? I'm just interested in what you think of the two birds!

 

[Krys109uk]

If I'm looking at the right birds the female looks blue; I don't see any mottling & the male looks like a mottled silver birchen. Is the female mottled?

Presuming the female to be blue on homozygous extended black & as you say she's mottled I'll take it that she is. The offspring ought to appear as blue mottled or black mottled. There might be leakage in the hackles as adult. The chick down will appear as yellow with black or blue along their back & on their head giving the appearance as if paint had been poured along them.

 

[spook]

Thank you! Well, I was told she was a mottled "blue" but refered to as gray. I have no idea what I have but I'm just so happy that finally several attempts my Scooter is making contact!

Lucy

Lucy, Scooter and Kathleen(gone)

Here is a shot showing Kathleen larger comb(gone) and to the left is Lucy, her eggs are being used and Scooters back side!

Lucy has what you mentioned with pencil marks on her head and smaller comb. I am in hopes that with Scooters larger comb that the chicks will take after him.
Not understanding genetics or lines etc, is there a good read to help me?
Thanks a million! And please correct me if Lucy isn't a mottle, that is what she was bought as.

 

[Krys109uk]

Looking at the white flecks on Lucy's head, she probably is mottled. I've been seeing this quite a bit recently. Mottled birds which are not really showing mottling. Often motting gets more every year but I have a couple of birds like this with only a bit of mottling on the head & they're three years old. I have birds which are heterozygous for mottling which have more mottling leaking than those two of mine.

Anyway their offspring ought to be much as described.

 

[klf73]

I have some heterozygous mottled blue ameraucana, they look similar....they have a lot of different color blue feathers, but not like my homozygous blue mottled.....
I would say yes, she is mottled too.

 

[nzpouter]

she's probably mottle bred blue.. your roo is a birchen as well...

 

[DiVon80]

Hens blue, rooster birchen!

 

[spook]

Not to doubt, but I looked up the Birchin Cochins and Scooter doesn't look like a birchen... What I've seen with the birchen is that the whole hackles are white/silvery... Like I've said, I'm pretty clueless.

 

[lockedhearts]

The rooster looks to be a mix, his body is mottled but does appear to have some Birchen (white around neck) Here are pics of my mottleds, they are from Jamie Matts lines

Rooster and Hen

Another Hen

 

[Msbear]

He is at least half birchen... I suspect half birchen half mottled as his back side shows some mottling. The hens are def blue but may carry the gene... if that's what the breeder told you. You may get some mottled chicks out of this cross but most if not all will have some birchen markings as well.

You could take the chicks that most resemble mottled and put them back to eachother and your hens to acheve more mottling but that roo will keep throwing birchen coloring.

eta: Lockhart beat me to it!! hahahhahah... nice birds.. I have some of their kin