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

[The Moonshiner]

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....

Basically he was saying that instead of the extended black genes making a bird solid black that it may take some other genes to make them completely black.
I'm following what he's thinking and could see that being possible. IMO if its true and you had birds missing some or the genes responsible for that then the leakage would be in hackles and maybe back and saddles. That's gonna have the birchen look if you could selective breed for the most leakage. Which in this theory would be breeding towards the birds that are missing the other gene (genes) responsible for the incomplete black.
Basically same idea of breeding. Breed anything you have or get with leakage.
Make sense?

 

[BlackHackle]

Are you looking for red birchen or silver?

 

[BlackHackle]

Birchen is simply the opposite of columbian. I can't find a relation to BBS and birchen.

Here is a birchen

 

[HenniesInMyHeart]

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

Someone is selling birchen cochin eggs on ebay, good price too!

 

[nicalandia]

Birchen is simply the opposite of columbian.

I guess one could say that on looks alone(phenotype) but is not an accurate statement for the genetic make up for the Birchen phenotype

Are you looking for red birchen or silver?

The "Birchen" phenotype relates to a Silver based(sex linked dominant Silver S/S on males and S/- on females) on a Birchen ER e allele background... When the birds are based on recessive sex linked gold(s+/s+ for males and s+/- for females) the phenotype is called "Brown Red" as in "Brown Red Cochins, for more info about it and on the Birchen Phenotype you can visit this page: https://www.cochinsint.com/uploads/8/8/2/1/8821267/ci_-_brown_red_cochins.pdf

 

[BlackHackle]

Yup, true. I have work alot with chicken feather genetics in my breeding programs...but i've always referred to Red Birchen as Red Pattern Birchen

 

[WVduckchick]

Do these look like leakage, or the birchen gene?
I'm trying to get rid of it! But I think I penned down which hens were throwing it.

 

[BlackHackle]

Close. But the roosters have far more silver in their backs as well

 

[nicalandia]

Do these look like leakage, or the birchen gene?
I'm trying to get rid of it! But I think I penned down which hen was throwing it. View attachment 1416663

Close. But the roosters have far more silver in their backs as well

That is leakage, the male is possibly missing Melanotic Ml, which turn hackle, saddle completely black, you know it's leakage when their shoulders are covered in black but hackel and saddle are gold/golden,silver

 

[WVduckchick]

That is leakage, the male is possibly missing Melanotic Ml, which turn hackle, saddle completely black

You mean the father?