Porcelain X Lavender?

[SwampPrincessChick]

Hello! I have a question for all of you people who understand genetics! I do not have pictures of my chickens in question yet so I will try to explain them in the best way possible.

Approximately four weeks ago, I purchased three bantams from Tractor Supply. I had been looking for White Cochin Bantams for a long time because Cochin Bantams are so cute, and if they were white they would look like fluffy clouds and I could name them after clouds. When I went to Tractor Supply and saw what I thought was Cochin Bantams in the bantam bin, I was excited and bought them. Their down was lavender, but lavender was close enough to white so I did not mind. I named them Cumulus, Stratus and Cirrus.

After they grew up and began to feather out more at about two and a half weeks old, I knew they did not look right for Cochin Bantams. Two are males, and one is a female. The female, Cirrus, suddenly sprouted muffs and a beard, even though she did not have them when she was little! The males are clean-faced, but they are certainly not all Cochin Bantam. I will explain their appearance more.

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Cirrus (pullet): Round body; shorter tail (although not as short and fluffy as it should be); almost porcelain coloration in feathers except for dots of darker coloring scattered around back; beard and muffs; feathered legs.

Stratus (cockerel): long tail; round-ish body but tall; very light porcelain, almost white; clean-faced.

Cumulus (cockerel): same as Stratus, except bigger and even longer tail.

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They are definitely not all Cochin Bantam as I wished, and I already know what they most likely are mixed with: d'Uccle. It would explain the muffs and beard that popped up on Cirrus and the more tall-ish bodies and long tails on Stratus and Cumulus.

But, I have a question: if one of their parents is a Cochin Bantam, and one of their parents is a d'Uccle, what would their parents' color varieties be? My immediate answer would be Lavender Cochin Bantam and Porcelain d'Uccle, but I know that a chicken's colors are far more than just a mix of their parents' colors, so I am curious about this!

Thank you to whoever answers.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

@NatJ

 

[NatJ]

Approximately four weeks ago, I purchased three bantams from Tractor Supply.

But, I have a question: if one of their parents is a Cochin Bantam, and one of their parents is a d'Uccle, what would their parents' color varieties be?

If you bought them from Tractor Supply, they are probably not any mix like that. I would expect them to be "pure" chicks of some breed or other, even if they are poor quality ones.

If they are only 4 weeks old, I would not try to decide much from their body build yet. That may change as they grow older.

I do not have pictures of my chickens in question yet so I will try to explain them in the best way possible.

Please do post pictures when you can.

At present, I am not sure what kind they may be.

They may not even be the same breed as each other. One with feathered feet and a clean face might be a Cochin, one with feathered feet and a muffed face might be a d'Uccle. Lavender-colored Easter Egger bantams exist too, with clean or muffed faces, although I don't think there were any feathered feet on the ones I saw.

porcelain x lavender

That cross will usually produce lavender chicks, with no visible mottling, but with a chance of silver or gold leakage. Any gold leakage will be diluted by the lavender gene, so it will be a light yellow color (like what is seen on porcelains).

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

If you bought them from Tractor Supply, they are probably not any mix like that. I would expect them to be "pure" chicks of some breed or other, even if they are poor quality ones.

It is common for hybrids to come out of Hoover's Hatchery because they often accidentally stick the wrong chicken in a breeding flock. I do agree that most of their birds are poor-quality versions of pure breeds, but mixes or hybrids is the first thing that came to mind. Cumulus and Stratus could very well be poor-quality Cochins.

That cross will usually produce lavender chicks, with no visible mottling, but with a chance of silver or gold leakage. Any gold leakage will be diluted by the lavender gene, so it will be a light yellow color (like what is seen on porcelains).

Thank you! I just remembered that, when they started to feather out, they had shredded feathers like the ones seem in lavender chickens, but they appear to have grown out of it. I know they had shredded feathers because their feathers were, well, more shredded and unkempt-looking than the other chicks in the same brooder.