I was told a hen I bought was a sport, her mama is a dun and her daddy is unknown. She is a very pale gray/tannish color with a little of pale yellow in her hackles, Can yall explain what it takes to be a sport?
Generally speaking, it's an unexpected mutation. At least that's the way I think of it. Delawares came from a sport and they expounded on that happy accident.
Ok, lets see if what I was told holds water. Lets say I have this hen whose mama was a dun, and daddy was unknown. How could she be a 'sport' if her daddy is unknown? (same breed, unknown color). I was told if you breed this hen back to a dun roo, you would get the better offspring than a dun to a dun. Is there any truth in that, or did I misunderstand?
If she truly is a Dun sport, her color would be called khaki and her daddy would have to be a Dun or a Khaki roo. In this case the sports are the splash version of Duns, like breeding Blue to Blue will give splash sports, Breeding dun to dun will give some khaki sports. Andalusian Blue and Dun work the same way.
But also like Cynthia said, sports can be unexpected mutions. For example, Barred Rocks were the original Plymouth Rock variety, then eventually in a certain line, recessive white sports came out and that is how White rocks and most other recessive white breeders were created.
Oh Puresilk I didnt realize you were the same one that posted those pics so I guess I just told you the same thing I did then, but if that is the one in the pic you are talking about, I still think she is a really light dun instead of a khaki.
Oh I didnt realize you were the same one that posted those pics so I guess I just told you the same thing I did then, but if that is the one in the pic you are talking about, I still think she is a really light dun instead of a khaki.
I didn't post the pictures. But I was in the thread...
Yes, it is the light colored old english hen. Thanks for the replies, so she would not be considered a sport. Can a dun hen have that little big of yellow in her neck feathers? Thanks again, I have a lot to learn about these chickens.