Peafowl 201: Further Genetics- Colors, Patterns, and More

[Birdrain92]

Nothing is impossible when mother nature is involved. Absolutely nothing, mutations exist in all species on earth even humans are not immune.

Gerald Barker

X2.

 

[barkerg]

It is always interesting to see what some are getting from crossing certain colors. I enjoy it but so many will not say what they cross to get the new colors so they can corner the market for a while.

So true, its really bad in the chicken world.

Gerald Barker

 

[WestKnollAmy]

That is true but I find a lot of laziness in the chicken breeding world.
I work on the Mille Fleur pattern in bantam Cochins and started mine from basic scratch. So many folks are always asking how to make the pattern and why theirs is not coming out with the Mille Fleur pattern, when all they need to do is research and study about it to know why.
They want quick answers and I repeatedly tell them to breed for the best conformation and the pattern will follow as long as they do not breed in other genetics. They won't listen and 2 years later are sounding off about being frustrated and how no one has helped them. They say breeders are holding back secrets, when in essence, my whole breeding program is laid out on my website in 3 huge pages! That is years of work and yet they refuse to do that much work. Even buying the phenotype does not mean the next breeding is going to be perfect. Even 2 generations! You have got to know your birds and what is behind them to know what you may get. Knowing the genotype is very important.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

Can you breed Spalding to other varieties or is it a different sub-species?

Thanks

 

[Birdrain92]

Can you breed Spalding to other varieties or is it a different sub-species?

Thanks

Yes you can breed them together.

 

[Garden Peas]

Can you breed Spalding to other varieties or is it a different sub-species?

Thanks

Spaldings are descended from crossing Indian peafowl with green peafowl. Although referred to as "hybrids" in the peafowl genetics stickies, they are fertile and can be bred to other Spaldings and to Indian peafowl, as well as to green peafowl. Spaldings are not, to the best of my knowledge, classified as any kind of subspecies, since they are crosses rather than genetically pure descendants.

Note that the many "varieties" of Indian peafowl expression refers to colors and patterns -- so they can all breed interchangeably (with the exception of charcoal).

Spaldings vary in percentage of green heritage and in which traits they visibly carry. Since they come from crosses, the actual look of the birds may vary from bird to bird, or generation to generation. Sometimes you see a bit of color on the face, sometimes a difference in stance, shape, leg length, feathering or coloration. Sometimes the temperament is quite different from Indian peafowl. There are many birds that carry some portion of spalding genes but which may not be sold as spaldings -- the owner or breeder may even be unaware that the bird is carrying spalding genes. Very high percentage spaldings may look more like green peafowl than like their Indian relatives, but there are still subtle differences that an expert (not me!) can detect when looking at the birds.

 

[Birdrain92]

Spaldings are descended from crossing Indian peafowl with green peafowl. Although referred to as "hybrids" in the peafowl genetics stickies, they are fertile and can be bred to other Spaldings and to Indian peafowl, as well as to green peafowl. Spaldings are not, to the best of my knowledge, classified as any kind of subspecies, since they are crosses rather than genetically pure descendants.

Note that the many "varieties" of Indian peafowl expression refers to colors and patterns -- so they can all breed interchangeably (with the exception of charcoal).

Spaldings vary in percentage of green heritage and in which traits they visibly carry. Since they come from crosses, the actual look of the birds may vary from bird to bird, or generation to generation. Sometimes you see a bit of color on the face, sometimes a difference in stance, shape, leg length, feathering or coloration. Sometimes the temperament is quite different from Indian peafowl. There are many birds that carry some portion of spalding genes but which may not be sold as spaldings -- the owner or breeder may even be unaware that the bird is carrying spalding genes. Very high percentage spaldings may look more like green peafowl than like their Indian relatives, but there are still subtle differences that an expert (not me!) can detect when looking at the birds.

It took me a few weeks before I could. There are many different ways. High % Spaldings will usually have one or two things different than a Green and sometimes they can be hard to spot unless you know what you're looking for. Look at the crest feather structure and size, yellow facial marking, neck feather size and color, wing color, and legs. I can go further in depth for those that wish to learn just ask.

 

[Dany12]

High percentage Spalding do not like cold climates!

 

[Helen in the Desert]

I bought 6 peafowl chicks last year - a BS male, a White male, two White hens and a IB female (who has white flight feathers). I also bought a pied female from another breeder.

I am assuming that the IB hen is split to White since she sports the white primaries. She and the other two white hens may carry BS, breeder isn't sure.

SO. I want BS and Pied.

White is not my first choice to have, but I know it can be useful for the Pieds.

Does my White male have to carry pied in order to produce Pied if bred to the Pied hen?

It does not look like the BS male is split to White, as he has NO white flight feathers. If I breed him to the whites, and they carry BS, will they produce BS in the first round as it is, as I understand it, a simple recessive? Just not sure if I need to keep the white hens or not. I am planning on breeding him the the IB hen.

Just figuring out my breeding plan.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

And also, to imprint, do I need to keep the chicks separated or can they live together and be handled often? These were all a little two old for imprinting and I was having health issues right after I got them, so they were not handled much.