The "Ask Anything" to Nicalandia Thread

[I Like Turkeys]

I’ve been told that the ones with a darker/gray base color are actually light blues.

Really? The seramas I pictured were listed as splash, and i've seen others of a similar color also named splash. Well, thank you. I appreciate the response.

 

[NatJ]

Really? The seramas I pictured were listed as splash, and i've seen others of a similar color also named splash. Well, thank you. I appreciate the response.

If you ever get some, you could tell for sure by test mating.

Here's the usual list of what crossings produce what colors:
Splash x splash makes only splash chicks.
Splash x blue makes splash chicks and blue chicks.
Splash x black makes only blue chicks.

Blue x blue makes black, blue, and splash.
Blue x black makes blue chicks and black chicks.

If you mate one of the questionable ones to a bird of known color, and hatch enough chicks, you should be able to tell by the color of the chicks. Or just mating two of the maybe-splash ones together could be informative, because if you get any blue chicks at least one must be blue (not splash), and if you get any black chicks they both must be blue (not splash.)

 

[MysteryChicken]

Here's a chart with percentages.

 

[chicks-with-chicks]

Hi Nicalandia! Apologies if this is a duplicate question. I tried to review as much of the thread as I could before posting, but 280 pages is a lot to comb through! I have a lot to learn about genetics, which will be evident from my questions, but I'm hoping to hatch our first group of eggs and I want to be as prepared as possible going into it.

My first question is what to expect when crossing a Blue Silkie roo with a Black Australorp hen? From what I've read so far I believe there's a 50% chance of having blue or black feathering, but is there anything else of note that could result? Feathered feet? Any chance of sexlink? Inherited broodiness potential?

My second question is there anything of note when mixing of a bantam RIR roo with our standard EE hen? What are the chances of the offspring being bantam?

Are there any negative health consequences or genetic issues that could arise from either cross? We're fine with having barnyard mixes, but I would like for them to be as healthy as possible (within our control).

Attached pic for reference Thank you in advance!!

 

[MysteryChicken]

@nicalandia, about my question about crossing Saipans with Malays was about increasing genetics diversity of Malays, to help grow the population with greater health. I was thinking they'd work since they're really close in body shape(Lots of similarities), & size. They look like both Pea Combed, & Walnut/Cushion Comb Malays.

My other choices for crossing to Malays, would be Aseels(if I can ever get set up for them), or Indio Gigantes. Which these are also Malayoid breeds, that could be used.

Do you think it will be a good idea, or do you think I should wait till more Malays are available?

(My Malays are from a flock that's several decades old )

 

[NatJ]

My first question is what to expect when crossing a Blue Silkie roo with a Black Australorp hen? From what I've read so far I believe there's a 50% chance of having blue or black feathering

That sounds right.

but is there anything else of note that could result? Feathered feet? Any chance of sexlink? Inherited broodiness potential?

Feathered feet, yes. Also crested heads. If the Silkie has a beard, the chicks might too. Chicks will carry the gene for Silkie feathers, but it is recessive, so they will have normal feathers.

Sexlink, not in a useful way. The daughters should show the black skin from their Silkie father, while the sons should show the light skin from the Australorp mother. You may see this in the faces, and the soles of the feet. But since the E gene (Extended Black) causes black on the legs as well as black feathers, all the chicks should have black or blue shanks on their legs.

I do not know for sure about broodiness, but it is quite likely that the crosses will be more broody than the Australorp mother.

My second question is there anything of note when mixing of a bantam RIR roo with our standard EE hen? What are the chances of the offspring being bantam?

Chicks are likely to be an in-between size when they grow up, although there is a chance of them being actual bantam size or growing bigger than their mother. There are a number of genes that control size in chickens, and not all bantams have the same ones. I read of one case, years ago, where someone crossed bantams of two different breeds, and the chicks grew to standard size!

Other points for that cross:
--all chicks will have gold/brown/red color feathers plus some black
--the mother has a beard, so expect a beard in at least half the chicks
--the mother has a pea comb, so at least half the chicks should have pea combs, and maybe all of them.
--if the mother lays blue/green eggs, either half or all of her daughters should too
--if any chicks have single combs, they are much less likely to have the blue egg gene (vs. chicks with pea combs.) This is because the pea comb gene and the blue egg gene are linked, so they are usually inherited together.

Based on her appearance, I am assuming that your Easter Egger hen is one with the link of pea comb and blue egg, but the linkage can actually be in any combination:
pea comb/blue egg in Ameraucana and many Easter Eggers
pea comb/not-blue egg in Brahma
not-pea comb/not-blue egg in Rhode Island Red
not-pea comb/blue egg in Cream Legbar and some Easter Eggers

Are there any negative health consequences or genetic issues that could arise from either cross? We're fine with having barnyard mixes, but I would like for them to be as healthy as possible (within our control).

I would not expect any trouble. I don't know of any specific genes in the parent breeds that would be worse when combined (for those breeds or any others.) The only inherited problems I know of in chickens are traits that show up when two of the same kind are bred together (ear tufts in Araucanas, short legs in Japanese bantams, frazzles from two frizzle parents.)

Feathered feet can get mud or snow stuck to them, and feathers from the crest and the muff/beard can sometimes block the chicken's vision, but those are traits that your current chickens already have, so nothing new when they show up in the chicks as well.

Attached pic for reference

The photo definitely helps!
(Especially when discussing Easter Eggers, because they are so variable.)

 

[Rosa moschata]

@nicalandia

Hi. I remember asking this question years ago, and getting a detailed answer from someone else, but can't find it anymore.

Let's say you wanted to create a line of Black Marans using Black Copper Marans as a base, because the latter could be more easily found with dark egg color. I vaguely remember that the Blacks are based on Silver, but not the Black Coppers. So I'm assuming that to best start this, one could use one Black roo over several Black Copper hens, since this would give daughters without the Gold gene. But what other differences lie between Black Copper and Black? Which Black Copper genes would have to be left behind to make solid Black? I'd assume that once a new black roo would be bred, he would be bred back to Black Copper hens to repeat the process, so that an ever-increasing proportion of the Black Copper line with dark egg genes would accumulate, but replacing the Black Copper feather color with solid black. What would be the signs to look for (i.e. color leakage) in splits?

We have similar brains, so I figure this would be a fun exercise for you. I'm just not as familiar with the genes responsible for chicken colors and patterns. Thanks in advance.

 

[MysteryChicken]

What type of coloring/Patterning are these handsome fellas?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

What type of coloring/Patterning are these handsome fellas?View attachment 3396858View attachment 3396859

I think that weird pattern is caused by heterozygous hen feathering. So if they were pure for hen feathering they would look like a normal wheaten hen. It’s a super cool pattern though.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I think that weird pattern is caused by heterozygous hen feathering. So if they were pure for hen feathering they would look like a normal wheaten hen. It’s a super cool pattern though.

That could be it.