I was seperating some 1 year olds today and one group was in a very high pen all the time so although I knew what chicks was inside the pen,today was the first time they have met the ground,and me a chance to actually see and sex some of them.One hen I had marked as a Midnight b/s is clearly an Opal b/s hen because she has several gray tail feathers.Another thing I noticed was a midnight b/s male that is white for the most part,making me wonder once again if the seller of those eggs actually even knew what was inside his pens,this same breeder sold me the Midnight eggs and of the 5 that hatched,the lone male was an IB B/S,,,so he was sold and I bought a true midnight b/s male last spring.
But one chick has me stumped. Both wing bands were gone,but it's clear this bird is Bronze as dark as it is. I say "It" because behind it's neck if the normal crest of feathers we see when a male is displaying. All these feathers have white outlines.The rest of the bird is 100% bronze in color,only these feathers directly behind the neck have white coming on them.I have birds I raised that are carrying white so some back feathers are oulined in white but this bronze bird only has this behind it's neck and every feather is that way,,progressive bronze pied starting early?? Not sure if it has a throat patch,will check that tomorrow. The only Bronze b/s chick I hatched turned out to be a male that hopefully is split to b/s,because it looks 100% bronze,the egg came from DAS here on byc.My lone charcoal hatchling from last year looks 100% IB,,but his father is white eye and dark pied,his mother is an ib/bs split to charcoal from Bradd Leggs.It's amazing what you finally see when you cannot see 100% of the bird for over a year.Today these birds was put on dirt for the first time and I still have 1 more group to move to dirt. I also noticed in this move the Opal chick I knew I had looks to be a Opal b/s male now.
Edited to add,this bronze chick has no barring so appears to be a hen from all outward appearances except for the fact of the feathers behind the neck,,,unless it is a b/s male?
I love all the different colors you all have.
