Pekin bantam question.

[Ogom]

Hello. I have 3 black pekins and I let them breed one time. I noticed the chicks have different shades of colors. Some are black and some are dark grey. Is this normal? The parents are black with beetle like highlights. I did not manage to add some pics. sigh!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Yes, variations in color are normal. My black Silkies hatch out the same way, some are very dark, while others are more grey and most of them have creamy patches to some degree. They turn black when their big kid feathers grow in. All should be well, unless you've got two birds breeding that are actually really dark blue, but blue and black are pretty easy to tell apart on Pekins (not so much on my Silkies though!).

 

[Ogom]

Thank you so much for taking the time to answering me. I know little about chickens and any help is welcome. I would like to ask you a new questions. Having only black pekins what would be the best to do in the future if I want to add a female of a different colour? Ido not have much option here where I stay but now and then I saw black with white spots and silver lavander. Thank you.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

No worries, I love to help

You could actually add any of those colors to your pen, but blue and/or splash will give you the most variety (if you can find one). Blue does not breed true. If you add a blue to your blacks, you'll get blue and black chicks. If you add a splash, you'll get all blues. If you eventually get to where you have blues and splash in your pen, you'll get blue, black and splash!

I'm assuming the black with white spots you're referring to are mottled. If you hatch chicks from them, they will all be black, but will be split to mottled. Breed to splits back to a mottled bird and you'll get mottled and black. Here's a picture of my mottled Cochin hen, I call her Dottie

Lavenders (or self blues) work the same as mottleds. Bred to black, they will produce splits, which will produce lavs if bred back to lav.
Blue or splash would probably be the easiest way to go since you're pretty new to breeding (but those mottled and lavs sure are pretty-which is how I ended up with my mottled, best $5 I ever spent)!
Best of luck to you!

 

[Ogom]

Thank you so much.