There are already a couple of breeds that have a silver and white mottled effect (though it's not really the same genes, I don't think,as Mottling?)
Have you seen these?
http://www.appenzellerspitzhauben.co.uk/
These are available at many hatcheries. The complaints I hear about them, is they are kind of small, (like Leghorn size) and very flighty. You could probably do very well trying to adapt this color onto a heavier body with a more production-friendly egg output and more manageable personality. Also, adding the Blue gene (to make a blue spotted version of this) or Blue egg gene, would probably work nicely.
Mottling doesn't really translate into a "silver and white" effect with Barred chickens (like Barred Rocks.) What happens is the white mottling, it just kind of gets "lost" in the Barred (striped) feather pattern. So it's doubtful you could get a "silver and white" effect? I did try it years ago to see what happened - and the baby chick looked cool at first - but then she just looked like a kind of weird barred rock hen. Not very amazing, LOL. Alll mottling does is add a white tip to some of the feathers.
But that Spitzhuaben is a great looking bird, yet sadly, they seem to be a kind of specialized breed. I haven't seen them really take off generally, like some of the more common "farm" breeds so I'm guessing they must not be as productive. I bet transforming that into a heavier farm-type chicken, with that
awesome spangled color would be very popular. Can you imagine that color transplanted onto a heavier White Rock or Easter Egger body?
Your goals don't really mesh with the Alohas, honestly - but I think something like this Spangled color would be AMAZING on a more "productive" chicken. I'd certainly give them a look if I was chicken shopping!
The Spitzhauben don't show up often locally, but they ARE available to order through many hatcheries. The reason they don't show up in AZ, is that about 90% of the chicks sold in feed stores here come from Privett Hatchery in New Mexico, and Privett does not carry Spitzhaubens. So you never find them in feed stores, or on Craigslist from people who bought random chicks at the feed store and are looking to re-sell them.
Ideal Hatchery in TX sells them, and sometimes Pratt's in Glendale orders from Ideal. You can call and ask if they would consider an order?
BTW, the color is called "SPANGLED" and I don't know how it is different, genetically, from the Mottling gene? But it is also found in Silver Spangled Hamburgs, which is yet another very small, slight, lighter bodied breed. To my knowledge this fabulous color has not be transplanted onto any nice, heavy, "farm-type" production breed? Could be something to explore?
Edited to add: Meyer Hatchery also carries this breed and ships to AZ.
