So how do you get a Birchen? Do they crop up in blue/black/splash breeding programs?

[BreanneRN]

I am just wondering, they are really pretty and would like to have that color in my Cochin chickens.

 

[LilJoe]

@The Moonshiner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm not sure how to breed for it and I'm sure you can't get birchen from BBS. Why not just buy a few and breed them?

 

[BreanneRN]

Haven't found anyone raising them or selling hatching eggs...

 

[LilJoe]

Depending on where you're located, AnnaMay Carlson breeds bantam cochins, including birchen. She sells her culls for pretty cheap ($5-$20 per older pullet/cockerel).

 

[nicalandia]

I am just wondering, they are really pretty and would like to have that color in my Cochin chickens.

True Birchen phenotype pattern is based on the ER e allele and the sex linked silver, and while you may create a similar phenotype by crossing black with silver partridge, that phenotype will be much darker and will not breed true in the short term, unless you keep crossing the F1 of that cross back to more partridge to produce lighter pattern, my best advise is to obtain Birchen line.

 

[The Moonshiner]

You can only get birchen from having a bird with birchen genes.
Birchen is a down pattern. Down patterns are kinda what colors/patterns are built on.
Its not something you can add a few genes together and make.
Its like a base pattern so to get it you have to have it. If you're hoping it will pop up in your BBS my opinion is it will be unlikely. Especially if you're wanting it. Or maybe that's just how my luck goes.
That said I do have some LF BBS cochin that do have it. BBS should be on extended black down pattern. Extended black is dominate to birchen so it can hide it. Apparently a couple of mine carried a birchen gene because it did pop up. I breed away from it with some success. You could go the opposite way and breed for it if it does pop up.
If you have or get any BBS with leakage in hackles or hackles and back on cockerels breed those together and breed towards the ones with the most leakage. It may get you where you want to be.
I've also had a variety of other BBS lines that I've never had it show up in.

 

[BreanneRN]

Well, I guess time will tell then... I'll have to do some hatching to find out what those hens have in there... (and I'll have to try to not want it!). I would ask you (moonshiner)to sell me some eggs, but assume by now you have eliminated that gene... I have LF Cochins, but can't seem to find a lot of color variety in the LF's. Always the bantams with the most colors... Thank- you so much for your answers, all. Big !

 

[nicalandia]

If you're hoping it will pop up in your BBS my opinion is it will be unlikely. Especially if you're wanting it. Or maybe that's just how my luck goes.

Thats how luck works doesn't it? How about just breeding for undermelanized extended black? Some people believe that Extended black E allele by itself does not make a solid black phenotype and other melanizers like Melanotic(Ml) play a big part

 

[BreanneRN]

Your over my head now!? Not sure how I would go about doing that... I have a splash roo, a black hen and 2 barred hens, a partridge roo and 3 silverlaced hens. Don't see any white or fade on that black one, she is dark as night. I think I have read that solid black and solid white can hide a lot of color genes? Like the box of chocolates, you never know what you might get....

 

[nicalandia]

Your over my head now!? Not sure how I would go about doing that... I have a splash roo, a black hen and 2 barred hens, a partridge roo and 3 silverlaced hens. Don't see any white or fade on that black one, she is dark as night. I think I have read that solid black and solid white can hide a lot of color genes? Like the box of chocolates, you never know what you might get....

Sorry about the confusion, I was thinking out loud it would be best if you could get your hands on a Birchen pair.