This may be a stupid question, but all my googling has not turned up an answer so I must embarrass myself publicly for asking. I purchased 6 chicks and their mother hen (rumpless araucanas) about a month ago. Two definite pullets, two definite cockerels, and the other two are still questionable. My only double tufted chick is one of the definite cockerels. Being double tufted I planned to keep him.
When he stretches up and flaps his wings I can see a few gold feathers on each side of his saddle feather area. There is absolutely no leakage (so far) in his hackle area or on his shoulders. He is roughly 12-13 weeks old. Isn't it odd for him to have leakage in the saddle area but NOT the hackles and shoulder, which I always thought were the areas leakage would show up first. So here is my embarrassing question: does this odd area for leakage mean anything genetically (something hidden), and is there less of a chance or more of a chance of him passing the leakage on with it showing in this area?
I'm still waiting to here back from the breeder about the chicks' sire genetics. The mother hen appears all black, but carries a recessive mottling gene. Four of her 6 chicks show mottling, the other two are all black.
When he stretches up and flaps his wings I can see a few gold feathers on each side of his saddle feather area. There is absolutely no leakage (so far) in his hackle area or on his shoulders. He is roughly 12-13 weeks old. Isn't it odd for him to have leakage in the saddle area but NOT the hackles and shoulder, which I always thought were the areas leakage would show up first. So here is my embarrassing question: does this odd area for leakage mean anything genetically (something hidden), and is there less of a chance or more of a chance of him passing the leakage on with it showing in this area?
I'm still waiting to here back from the breeder about the chicks' sire genetics. The mother hen appears all black, but carries a recessive mottling gene. Four of her 6 chicks show mottling, the other two are all black.
