Tell me about Tophats...

[Wolfwoman]

If you breed a Polish to another non crested bird, do the offspring ALWAYS have a crest or not?

 

[Mahonri]

Yes and no.

Here is a roo I got from the breeding of a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana X Bearded Buff Laced Polish.

I have him in with his mama, his half sister (who is all polish) and with a Wheaten Pullet. I'm hoping to make some blue laying polish.

Policaunas as I will call them.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
It depends on the quality of your Polish. If it is from a hatchery, some chances are that its crest is small, and only holds one allele , which allows for the chances of having offspring with another bird to have NO crest. If your Polish is of good quality, then yes, crossbreeding it to create F1 gen offspring will give 100% crested birds, but with small crests as shown in that pic.

I've bred 4 different Polish from hatcheries to an EE before - Of those 4, 3 had 100% crested babies, and 1, who had a naturally smaller crest but still claimed "purebred and showable" by the hatchery, had 0% crested babies.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Interesting. I will have to do some experimenting and see what happens

If nothing else, I'll have some interesting looking laying birds..lol

 

[Megs]

interesting looking layers indeed

i have a polish X production red who is white with a few black speckles and a small tophat, i bred her to an Australorp and got about 50% crested, and i bred her to a polish and got 100% crested.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
What type of Polish did you cross the PR with?

 

[Megs]

it was a bantam white crested black polish ROO X PR hen

here she is with her Australorp daddy babies. Only 4 photographed, 3 have tophats, there were 8 but the other 4 were raccoon food

she was almost raccoon food to, i was surprised i was able to nurse her back to health as she had backbones exposed the injury was so severe. she is 5 years old and lays an egg a day

 

[Wolfwoman]

Very interesting... and she is pretty! Such a light color too... hmm

Boy, am I gonna have fun with this roo...LMAO!!