Peahen? Peacock? Spaulding? Please, Help Identify this bird!

[1sttimepeamom]

He is a Spalding peacock. Any green blood at all makes it a Spalding no matter how little.

That makes sense to me.

 

[Glor]

Was looking up what Salding was about and came across this article...I know you only believe a little of what you see on the net but this is just what I found...


HONEST SPALDINGS

The United Peafowl Association made some much needed changes in 2005 on how peafowl were identified. Since then, there has been a learning curve. One thing that I get questions about is, "What is a Spalding?"

Mrs. Spalding is credited with crossing a Java peacock with a black shoulder pattern peahen. In all probability, the crossing had been done earlier and not recorded or promoted in any way. A Spalding is currently considered a cross of any of the Pavo Muticus (green) sub species with any color or pattern of the Pavo Cristatus. In other words ANY of the colors or patterns that we have will be a Spalding if mixed with a green peafowl. A Spalding can be any color. See the PEAFOWL VARIETY LIST in Peafowl Today or on the UPA web site for the full list.

The first crossing of these birds will produce a 50% Spalding. In order to raise the percentage of Muticus (green) blood, you will have to take a 50% bird and breed it back to a pure Muticus for 75% Spalding in both male and female offspring. A breeding with a 50% Spalding and a 75% Spalding will give you 5/8 Muticus blood. Breeding two 50% Spaldings will give you offspring of 50%.

Breeding a 100% Muticus with a 75% Spalding will yield a 7/8 Spalding. It has taken from six to nine years to develop these 7/8 birds. When crossing these birds, they don't always look phenotypicly the same. This is common with Spaldings.

Crossing these Spaldings again with a 100% Muticus will produce a 15/16 blooded Spalding. These are starting to look like a Muticus (green) and have many times been sold as a pure Muticus although they are still a Spalding. You can cross again with a 100% Muticus to make a 31/32 and again with a Muticus to make a 63/64. These are still Spaldings that look very much like (Muticus) greens. This has taken fifteen to nineteen years to get to 63/64 percent Java in these Spalding. When you start working with sexlink colors you can add some more time to this.

If we go back to the third crossing (7/8) and you cross the siblings together, you still only have a 7/8 bird. You do not increase the Muticus blood in this cross. If you breed the 7/8 Spalding cock back to his mother (75%), you will cut the Muticus blood to 13/16. These birds may vary in the way that they look. Some may look like Muticus, but are Spalding. Looking like a Muticus does not mean it is one. The blood must be 100% to be one of the Muticus sub-species.

Some purists criticize the practice of mixing breeds. I, personally, like Spaldings as the crossing can develop a larger bird and a bird with some enhancement of colors. There is still much interest in keeping the Muticus lines pure; and there should be.

The breeding and sale of Spaldings should be done with an honest representation by the breeder. As stated before, peafowl may have a Muticus phenotype (how it looks) and not be 100% pure. It is not ethical to sell these birds as pure. A buyer who is setting up a breeding program needs to know exactly what they are getting. The results of breeding with a peafowl which LOOKS like it is pure can yield quite a different outcome from breeding with one which IS pure. Working with Spaldings does require keeping good records. I know that sound easier than it is. Good luck with them.

George A. Conner

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Although it is true that you can't believe much of what you see on the web, George Conner is an extremely reputable and experienced pea breeder.

You might take a look at his website: http://www.boxess.com/connerhills/

*eta
Not sure why you are reviving this thread? Did you have a question about your own spalding?

 

[Dany12]

In all probability, the crossing had been done earlier and not recorded or promoted in any way.


George A. Conner

In the USA ?
I knew in Japan .... there ... for a long time!
now in Metropolitan Museaum of Art NY.

 

[Glor]

Just incase someone wanted more info also I may use it in future, I didn't know what Spaulding meant so just did some reasearch, my husband has the 2 peahens an 1 White and I want to say 1 black shoulder or perhaps India Blue the male is Pied, to see if I could get a simple term. I am playing with chickens I am fascinated about genetics and the sex link gene and figured I would look into the peafowl too, I read the with chickens the female determines the sex instead of the male was woundering if the same is true in Peafowl. Thank you for the link I will look at it

 

[new 2 pfowl]

There is also some basic pea genetics information in the Pea stickies: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/389059/peafowl-sticky-topics-index
And Legg's Peafowl has interesting information on their website: http://www.leggspeafowl.com/
And by the way, , the Pea Department!

 

[Glor]

Thank you for the welcome, and the great reads/links look forward to reading them. Yes, U.S. in Massachusetts . It looks like Peafowl is welcome every where

 

[new 2 pfowl]

...

now in Metropolitan Museaum of Art NY. Dany12, I couldn't find this pied on the Met website, where did you find it? I'm just curious about the date of this screen painting. I did see a number of Japanese images of clearly green peas (or perhaps spaldings?) from as far back as 1720.

 

[Dany12]

The info came from the japanese web !
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/oneichan09/20130319/p1

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Thanks Dany12!
Too bad it doesn't tell the date of this painting.
These are some other interesting ones from the Met (these images are from their website):

Chinese, 14th century:

Japanese, 19th century: