Odd colored bronze poults hatching.. ideas? *PICS*

[birdbrain5]

I've been hatching out poults from my bronze pair, which are penned seperately from my palms. I have hatched out many that look like this: (which is what i'd assume they should look like!)

and then sometimes i am getting some that are much lighter and yellow, but with a noticable dark brown head like this:

this is one of those lighter ones at 3 weeks old, notice his head too:

Im kind of stumped here, how come they are so light and dont look like the others? I was almost convinced DH had accidentally let them get together and I was getting mixes, but its kind of impossible and he swears up and down they never have when hes been in the pens. The only possible way is if they are breeding eachother thru the 2x4 welded wire in one small spot in between the pens. Most is divided with pallets. I know that may sound silly to think would be possible, but at this point nothing suprises me with the animals around here lol.

Here is a pic of the parent birds:

Any ideas?

 

[ColbyNTX]

That looks like a RPXBronze poult! I have had my freerangers RP & Bronze, hatch that same poult. Were they togather any? They could get bred and lay fertile eggs for 3 weeks or so.

 

[birdbrain5]

i really dont think they ever got in together, not that i have seen and DH either. they arent able to get in with eachother. only way they would be breeding is thru the wire. they have all been kept seperate since before the hens were even laying.

 

[turkaholic]

Your tom apprears to be a red bronze and not one of the white tipped standard bronzes, so he carries a red gene. Your hen may also have a red gene in her lineage and when the two come together, you get bourbon reds. The poults look like BR's to me.

 

[crj]

Can they get over the fencing?

 

[birdbrain5]

wow, so im getting bourbon red turkeys from these? and bronze?
ETA: this would actually be quite nice if i could get some BRs also! but heres a question- if i were to grow the BRs up and breed would they breed true for BR poults?

no there is no way over, under or thru the fencing at all. only way they have contact is thru the 2x4 wire and pallets seperating them. they have never been in with eachother.

 

[turkaholic]

Quote:
Yes, if they are bred to BR's, they will breed true. Breeding them back to the bronze from the same parents you will get bronze, red bronze (like your tom) and BR's.

Turkeys cannot breed through fencing. The tom must mount the hen in the traditional way. So your birds carry the red gene to produce BR's.

 

[birdbrain5]

im actually happy about this! i have wanted bourbon reds so now i have some! lol
thanks for all the help

 

[Frosty]

Wow, turkaholic, I would say good call! So I went to Kevin Porter's site to look at the BR poults: http://www.porterturkeys.com/bourbonred.htm Looks like it to me! I have a lone Regal Red tom from Kevin, and he explained to me how to breed him with Bronze, BR or Buff to create more Regals. I imagine it would be the same with the BR? They are so gorgeous, deceptive when they are the adolescent buff color...

 

[Lagerdogger]

I agree with Turkaholic, but would add a little more. Both the tom and hen are red bronze. Neither has the buff band on the upper tail coverts. Of course, seeing the bourbon red poult tells us that both the tom and hen have to carry a red gene, so without even looking at the colors in the tail, it is apparent that they are both red bronze. Knowing this, we also can know that there are three possible offspring from the mating. The first is the bourbon red, which you have documented with fine pictures. This is a standard bronze with two red genes. Another possibility is the standard bronze, of which your first picture is a good example. These have no red genes. But half of you offspring, on average, should be more red bronzes. The poults will look similar to the standard bronze, but the dark markings will be a little lighter, and much of the the white fuzz at hatching would have been yellow. Did you get any of these?