**Mottling on my Split/Black Lavender Orpingtons**

[hinkjc]

Tim, if they're wheaton, wouldn't I expect to see red in the hackle on the males? Or does something block that? Is that what the melanizer does? Trying to understand all this.

I have not crossed the light down with the dark down yet. I will experiment more with these next year. I'll keep pics of them as they grow to watch for differences into adulthood. I really haven't seen any differences in the first generations, so we'll see how it goes. There must be something and I am just overlooking it.

What's interesting is both groups of the mottled chicks are basically from the same hens, but different roos. I could email you privately to discuss how they came about to see if we can figure them out if you like.

 

[Krys109uk]

The trouble with biology is that the more you learn; the less you know.

LOL I think the same is true of very many subjects.

I think there are other genes which affect mottling. Not sure what to think about the different alleles idea. I've never had any birds with the chick down phenotype of the pics of the Japs, also, from Jody's pics they feather up differently to the mottling I am used to.
I've messed with mottling on & off for years,using mottling from exchequer leghorns, speckled Sussex, Jubilee Orpingtons & a couple of other breeds. I'm pretty sure they were all the same gene, though in the case of exchequers, from preliminary results, mottling affected by another gene.

As an aside, about leg colour. I have quite a few mottled Orpingtons on extended black, most have white legs with black spots, some seem to have white legs & a couple have completely dark legs.

Seems there's a lot more to mottling than we know.​

 

[hinkjc]

Krys, can you show us how some of yours feathering in? I am curious to see the differences. My cream ones start very light and get the black coming in through their youth, then turn almost completely black with white specks on the tips. It is funny how much they change over the course of the first 5-6 months. I haven't raised any past first moult yet, so don't know what happens when they moult. Mottling is an unusual gene and it seems there are many variations. I find it very interesting.

 

[Krys109uk]

Tim, if they're wheaton, wouldn't I expect to see red in the hackle on the males? Or does something block that? Is that what the melanizer does? Trying to understand all this.

What e-allele are mottled Japs usually expected to be?
Mottling, alone, on wheaten the chicks hatch plain yellow. My melanised wheaten Marans pullets hatched plain yellow (I don't know that I've had any males). I don't think I've had both on the same bird.​

 

[BamaChicken]

I have one big gal now that is two years old. She is in a molt. She has always had gold eyes and mottled legs but was black. Now she has a nearly white head with strange mottling on her. In strange I mean where the white is it is large. I have one I have kept that has very good mottling but yellow legs and beak. One that was a mottled cochin cross with with feathered legs white skin. A few splits. One very large pullet that is mostly black with very light mottle tha is hardly noticable. She has mottled legs and gold eyes.
I am hoping this year to see a good pattern emerge from some of these.
These projects definitely take a few years

 

[Krys109uk]

My cream ones start very light and get the black coming in through their youth, then turn almost completely black with white specks on the tips. It is funny how much they change over the course of the first 5-6 months. I haven't raised any past first moult yet, so don't know what happens when they moult.

I've been thinking of taking some pics over the last few days. I have camera phobia.

All the mo/mo birds I've had, whether black mottled or Jubilee pattern, feather up with big patches of white in their chests, onto the shoulders, white in their primaries, mostly darker on their backs. This evens out to a more regular even pattern in adult plumage. The mo/mo from jubilee or speckled sussex, when put on extended black has the restricted black on down like someone has dripped paint along their back. mo/mo on eWh with Co & Mh are yellow to orange, some with stripes on their back.

Anyway, I'll have a look at taking photos.​

 

[wilds of pa]

Also see the chick down on mottled Java's
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Java/BRKJava.html

Mottled Japanese chicks
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Japs/BRKJapChix.html

 

[Krys109uk]

So the Javas have two phenotypes of chick down too. The dark ones & some like the more common mottling.
I've seen pics of the dark phenotype in other people's birds. I wish I had some to investigate.

 

[JewellFarm]

My split blacks looked the same at that age, but they are a beautiful solid black now.

This is my Lavender Roo that decended from Jody's, Lester. We are all a little stumped by him, but I would like to see what some of you genetic experts think.

 

[wilds of pa]

Wow that lavender got me stumped, must have had something go wrong in diluting the black out.. Very interesting..

never seen anything like that in all the lavenders we hatched out and it was in 100's

still much to be learned with lavender