Peculiar color pattern

[MiddleChild]

One of my Black Stars got broody so I begged some fertile eggs from a lady who runs all sorts of hens and roosters together. Hence - they're all Mutt-Bastid crosses, currently about 10 wk old. One in particular has caught my eye - he (I think it's a roo) is mostly black with green sheen, but there are some splashes of red. In particular, his red feathers are confined almost entirely to his left side - shoulder, side of throat, and side of breast. Tonight I was watching him closely and realized that the leg on the side with red feathers is bright yellow. The other leg, on the mostly black side, is a grayish brown. Absolutely different. Is there any particular significance to this?

 

[nzpouter]

possibly a mosaic... which 2 sides of an animal run by 2 different sets of genes..... quite rare condition... pic will be good...

 

[MiddleChild]

Thought that might be the answer. I have one green eye, one brown one, and was told as a child I was a "genetic mosaic". Was never sure whether this was something to mention in public or not.

Pics will have to wait until I can wrestle my photo software into submission.

 

[donrae]

Search for chimera, I think that's what they've been called here. I don't remember where it was, but someone had a half frizzled-half smooth rooster! There have been pics of a few others, also, look like half came from one daddy and half from another. I've not heard weather it affects overall health or not.

 

[MiddleChild]

MUST see if my pics were any good.

 

[Deannster]

I'd love to see some pics too. I have what I think is a chimera as well and I'd love to see another one out there. They are so cool!

 

[CrestedGirl]

This is so interesting, I hope you can upload some some pics

 

[MiddleChild]

I have a couple of pics, but they're pretty poor compared to what I see posted here. I'll try to get them posted. I KNOW I don't have a full-front one that would show the body color distribution.

 

[MiddleChild]

OK - my first try at posting a photo.

This is Early (hatched a day ahead of everybody else). I think he's a rooster. Anyway - the red splashes you see are almost entirely limited to his left shoulder/breast (and much brighter in good light) - just a few red flecks on the other side. The leg color - as clear as it is in the photo, the difference is more so in real life. I'll try to get a better picture in daylight.

 

[allmychickens]

thats interesting!!!!