Mottled or Muddled? - Bantam Wyandottes

[sjarvis00]

It is not uncommon to get barred / coockoo pattern from a Black and white cross in bantam wyandotte. We get them from ours blues as well after white was added to clean up leg color and help type.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

What beautiful kids! I think they turned out cute, even if not showable. They are really nice looking birds!

 

[ChickenPotPie]

@ WyandotteTX - I have seen a bit of pale gold/yellow tinge streaks in the hackels. Does that mean the GL would be their mother? Or could the Black carry it?

@ HappyMtn - Thank you.

So, if the roo carries the barred gene and the chicks carry it, too, and that makes the pattern fuzzy? How do you clean that up? Not that they're recognized, but still. Just wondering.

@ ajarvis00 - Hmm, okay, so these cuckoos can come from a Black and White cross. When you get them, are they just culled? Or are they any use in your breeding program for something?

So, now I have an important question...What bantam Wyandotte colors/patterns are compatible or work well together? The seller of the White roo said he'd never bred anything but White to White. Do you all do the same? Do you all breed Black/Black, GL/GL, etc? Or do you cross different colors/patterns that will give you a high percentage of recognized colors?

And, using the current stock my son has, do you see him ever getting any showable chicks out of them? Or should he look for a different colored hen? What colors/patterns would you suggest?

Thanks. You're all so helpful.

 

[BookWorm243]

What beautiful chicks! You can always send them over my way

 

[sjarvis00]

Quote:
As to "Gold" in hackle if its in teh males only then it likely came from one hen, black birds are always carriers of other colors or patterns that are masked by genes that enhance the black color and allow it to cover up other traits. Black birds are seldom black.

If all teh pullets came barred then yes the rooster was the carrier, so long as you hatched eggs from more than 1 hen.

we cull anything we don't breed for or send down the road with someone who wants something to run around eat bugs, and lay a few eegs so long they will not breed them. As for the Barred on Barred after the fact you can work with them and clean them up it will take a few generations but will get you there.
I would strongly suggest that you keep a close eye on the under down color try to keep it light as this is directly related to keeping a good yellow leg. or just select for the very bright yellow and you will also have the lighter under down.

White Wyandotte Bantams are th emost common and often best of size type and in show but are tough to keep clean. Black will run a tight second. Since you have White male and Black female I would get them both mates and let your son choose which he likes better.

 

[encorepistol]

Ive got young barred wyandottes this year from purposely crossing my blacks and whites. They are all still young but seem to have nice clean barring so far. Time will tell if the develop any gold in them. Im actually working on mottled but had a fox put a damper on things. It killed over 25 young chickens in one night, even some of my young game hens.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
No, mottled is its own, recessive gene, not a combination of genes.

The barring almost certainly came from the white father. Dominant white birds often carry barring; not sure if wyandottes are typically dominant white, or even if this particular one is, but white is about the only way to hide barring. The difference between barring and cuckoo is the slow vs fast feathering gene.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

You all are so helpful with this great information that I keep coming up with more questions.

So, "barring" is considered barring (as in clean barring in Barred Rocks) and Mottled is also spoken of as barring? And barring is also a factor in Cuckoo?

Out of curiosity, how would one clean up the Cuckoo pattern on these chicks? Or is it even worth it? Would my son breed Cuckoo to Cuckoo and cull for better pattern? Or breed them to a clean Barred? Or? I've been working on an unrecognized color pattern in my rabbit barn for 4 1/2 - 5 yrs so this subject interests me somewhat.

I think it is a good idea for my son to get same color mates for his birds. I'll have a talk with him today about it. He has had his black for so long that I'm not even sure if she lays much anymore so he may just want to get a White hen for his roo. He was telling me how much he liked him just this week.

We'll see. Thanks for the suggestion.

Does anyone know of a great bantam Wyandotte breeder in CA? I'm afraid I've long since forgot the name of the fellow who sold my 6 yr old that White roo.

Or, isn't there going to be a national show in Indianapolis, IN this fall? I heard that the APA was having one there at the same time the American Rabbit Breeders Association is having our Convention and Show (biggest and only national all-breed show of the year). Will bantams be there, too?

 

[sjarvis00]

Quote:
Item 1: barring, coockoo and Mottling are all seperate. to properly determine if you have barred or Coockoo I think you need to compare the bird to the color standard. I know coockoo has one color 4x the width of teh other I just can't recall which but I believe it is the white. I also believe that coockoo terminates in a white tip whereas barred is even width of color bands and terminates in black. Barred is common with the bantam Wyandotte but not Coockoo, and it may not be real evedent on this generation you may need to breed your barred / coockoo back to each other to clean them up some and determine which it is.
Mottling is very uncommon in the wyandotte unless introduced from cochin. It is a Black bird with white feather tips.

Item 2: To clean up teh pattern you would need to breed the barred / coockoo to each other and select for body type, color pattern and leg color. Over a series of a few generations you will be doing very well with them, when teh pattern and selection is strong it takes less time. the first generation always looks teh worste.

Item 3: if you will go to the wyandotte breed club website you can find a listing of breeders. talk to several the one who is most open and will tell you and your son about thier birds and the known problems they have with thier line and is willing to provide some level of support for the youth is the one you really want to deal with. here is teh contact for the Ditrict Director of teh Wyandotte Breed Club for California, Daniel Fry-Shaw, 2450 Itsa Trail, El Dorado. CA 95623 [email protected]
A link to the WBA website: http://www.wyandottebreedersofamerica.net/
junior dues are $6 a year. Well worth the money, or $12 for adult and $18 for family.

Item 4: there will as always be a large showing in Indianapolis you can check the date on the APA or ABA website.