Mottling/ Mottle Java Question

[Wolf-Kim]

For those who have mottled breeds, or even Mottled Java, which is the breed in question. At what age do the chicks mottle-out? At what age can you look at an individual and tell how well they will mottle out?

I just hatched out my first Mottled Java and of course they are whitish/yellow with black markings. I was wondering at age they get their "pattern".

With mottled Javas, I don't know if it's the same with other mottled breeds, there is a great deal of variance between individual birds. I want to select for the even, "ideal", mottling and the younger I can cull birds out of my breeding flock the easier on my feed bill. I am also very curious since it's my first time actually raising Javas and not just owning.

Thanks!
-Kim

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Just wanted to post a picture of my newly hatched(just a couple hours ago) Mottled Java chicks. The all black on is not a Mottled Java.

Aren't they precious? I call this picture "Hatching is Hard Work"

-Kim

 

[puckbunny87]

Those babies are adorable. I have no idea what a Moltted Java looks like, so now I must go find pics. *lol*

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I love my new babies. There are not many good pictures of the Mottled Java out there because they are so rare now. They use to be very very popular and they were used in the creation of alot of today's popular breeds, but they themselves almost went extinct. At one time only one man had them. Luckily I think they are on the come-back! They really are a striking bird with the correct patterns.

-Kim

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Here is these babies' daddy. I pulled those twisted/damaged tail feathers and they came back straight. I'm trying to breed for a more evenly mottled, kinda like this rooster, but you can see the black non-mottled spots on his shoulders and back. I want the whole bird mottled. Which is why I was asking the question that started this thread. LOL

-Kim

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

They wont really get their full pattern til they are fully feathered at around 5 or 6 months. If you cant find any with good color and get desprate you might have to outcross if you want to get good color. A good cross would be to mottled ancona, there are some great ones out there. The big things to overcome would be the floppy comb on hens, thin body and white earlobes.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

LOL. FlyingMonkeyPoop, you and I think very similar. I was going to use the Mottled Ancona as a back-up plan. I think I can get the pattern I want without outcrossing. Their momma is very beautifully patterned, so as long as I select well out of these I think I'll be good. I'm hoping anyway. I had another MJ roo but he was almost all black, so I had him as a back-up(in case anything happened to the one in the pic) but he messed up and attacked me so he was Sunday dinner. LOL

It is very funny that we both chose the same breed as a back-up. The Mottled Anconas are beautiful, but the body type would be more difficult to select out than the pattern I think. We'll see, these guys are the first generation so I'll know in the next few months.

-Kim

 

[Kev]

Are Javas supposed to have red earlobes? If so, I would Highly suggest not using Anconas!

White earlobes are polygenetic(due to many genes) and are HARD to get rid of- I should know, have battled for generations to completely clean up the earlobes in some of my lines.

Can't help with mottling, sorry.

p.s. good to know there's another breeder who culls aggro roos!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Thanks Kev for the advice about the earlobes, I am pretty sure I won't need to outcross. The hen has desireable pattern and the rooster has pattern very close to what I want(except for dark patches and white tail feathers), so as long as the chicks mottle similar I should be able to just select the better ones and be good.

I would share a picture of mommy-dearest but the camera batteries are low/dead and I do not already have a decent picture of her. I will get better pictures of alot of my birds once I remember and find the time. That's the key, finding time, energy, or money to do something, huh?

I have no need for my dual purpose birds to be aggressive. Had it been a game breed slight aggression can be understood, but not in my dual purpose. They are designed for meat and eggs, not for being game, so I dock big points for aggression.

-Kim

 

[Kev]

Glad you may not have to outcross, just thought I'd jump in due to Anconas having white earlobes, this trait is seriously hard to clean out of a line once introduced. One of the infuriating things about white lobes is that cockerels can appear to have clean earlobes... until they are past one year of age and they eventually show white streaking in the lobes.... Arrrrrgh. The more genes a trait has, the harder it is to get rid of or to accumulate in a bird if desired.

I just remembered another trait about mottleds- it tends to increase with age. There are actually show lines of mottleds separated into "young"(pullet, cockerel) or "mature" lines. The young lines show excellent mottling early on however they develop too much white as they mature. The mature lines show little or "poor" mottling until fully adult/mature.

In any case, a well mottled bird certainly are eye catching. Good luck with your project.. those chicks have neat color patterns by the way.

I personally don't think there's any need for human-aggressive roosters, even in game breeds. There are many fighting game stock that don't show aggression towards humans but their desire to kill each other is not lessened in any way. The belief that aggressive roosters is a necessity for fertility or "protecting" the girls is rather widespread though so often they are tolerated or actually selected, perpetuating the aggressive genes in the stock when they aren't necessary in the first place.