The "Ask Anything" to Nicalandia Thread

[MysteryChicken]

You always post too many pictures. It's hard to pick any single image to respond to.

Mosaics are not an officially recognized breed, but there are a group of breeders working towards that goal. They shouldn't be bred any which way and still use the name.
Mosaics must have blue ears. But blue ears don't make a Mosaic (Silkies, etc.).
The feathers should be patterned with white - the exact look is still in flux.
They have green legs. Blue skin. Blue beaks. Small straight combs.

Fibro is interesting to work with. I have some homebred fibro eggers that came out dark as night everywhere from Mosaic x Black Ams. Kinda cool. Also lots of sheen, reinforcing the idea that ACs were used heavily in Mosaics.

I would hazard a guess that the question askers hen is AC x Leghorn, based on the heterozygous dominant white, and the strong fibro expression.

I didn't think it was too many.

Mosaics are still new to me, still learning. Any information is appreciated.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Ok so next question for me today is. I got this hen from tractor supply a few years ago. I just can’t remember what the breed is? I know it’s cross. I also know it has pearl in the name. Can anyone tell me? Here is a picture.View attachment 3551845

From TSC, yes, that's a Smoky Pearl, not a Mosaic, or not a 'true' Mosaic anyway. They're some sort of hybrid, I don't know off hand of what as Hoover's has been rather tight-lipped about them, but some of them have dark skin like this and some don't.

@nicalandia
I know you said Birchen brown red, but it's the coloration I was wanting to know.
What would you call this? Doesn't look right for blue.
My black Sumatra cross for black, next to chick in question.
View attachment 3552092View attachment 3552093Got more pictures if needed. Also can get more too.

Just looks blue to me, but the lighting in these pictures kind of makes it impossible to distinguish if something else is going on. My first thought when you initially posted this chick was blue gold birchen as well. My experience with Black Copper Marans, a gold birchen based variety, was that some would get this mossy, rusty color throughout their juvenile feathering that would make them look almost brownish, so I wonder if that's what you're seeing in this little one. It always molted out and was replaced with the expected birchen patterning by adulthood.

 

[MysteryChicken]

From TSC, yes, that's a Smoky Pearl, not a Mosaic, or not a 'true' Mosaic anyway. They're some sort of hybrid, I don't know off hand of what as Hoover's has been rather tight-lipped about them, but some of them have dark skin like this and some don't.




Just looks blue to me, but the lighting in these pictures kind of makes it impossible to distinguish if something else is going on. My first thought when you initially posted this chick was blue gold birchen as well. My experience with Black Copper Marans, a gold birchen based variety, was that some would get this mossy, rusty color throughout their juvenile feathering that would make them look almost brownish, so I wonder if that's what you're seeing in this little one. It always molted out and was replaced with the expected birchen patterning by adulthood.

Basement lighting is terrible. I could attempt some natural light pictures, tomorrow.
It's like a smokey grey with, a brownish tone.
My only Birchen Based rooster in the coop is this boy. He has no blue.

The Easter Egger is another possibility, but he's a Blue, Silver partridge with Autosomal Red, & partial lacing. I have a chick from him, it's full EE, & Blue partridge with Gold.

My Khaki Silkie Rooster, is another possibility, just need to wait for the chick to show more traits.(I did breed him to black, but the eggs quit early on, gonna try another test breeding next year.)

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I think you can rule out the Silkie just based on the traits of the chick. He just has so many dominant traits that the chick should have at least something from that side, yet it doesn't. Sure, he could be hetero for all of those traits, but the odds of that, on top of the odds of the chick still not inheriting any of them, are just altogether so, so slim. I know you're gunning to prove that your Silkie has some weird genetics, but it's a reach.

Honestly, the Easter-egger is the clear answer here anyway. Yes, my first inclination was to agree on the chick being birchen, but it being partridge-based fits even better to my mind, at least in my experience with my own partridge-based Easter-eggers and mixes thereof.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I think you can rule out the Silkie just based on the traits of the chick. He just has so many dominant traits that the chick should have at least something from that side, yet it doesn't. Sure, he could be hetero for all of those traits, but the odds of that, on top of the odds of the chick still not inheriting any of them, are just altogether so, so slim. I know you're gunning to prove that your Silkie has some weird genetics, but it's a reach.

Honestly, the Easter-egger is the clear answer here anyway. Yes, my first inclination was to agree on the chick being birchen, but it being partridge-based fits even better to my mind, at least in my experience with my own partridge-based Easter-eggers and mixes thereof.

The chick is Beardless, The EE Rooster is pure for the Beard gene, so I'd at least expect very few of his offspring would actually be beardless. The extra Melanizers the chick shows is odd, both parents don't show this.


Not ruling the Silkie out 100% yet, I have gotten offspring from my Silkies before that have lacked traits like Crest, Feathered Feet, etc.
Will be redoing the test breeding next spring. Maxed out on chickens at the moment.

Would you like better pictures of the chick? If it is indeed blue, it's a shade I have never seen before.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Nah, I'm good. I can see where the conversation is going so I'm checking out.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Nah, I'm good. I can see where the conversation is going so I'm checking out.

I'm not arguing, just offering better pictures for the shade of color.

Guess I could just post back with updates, at 6 weeks, or so.

 

[NatJ]

The chick is Beardless, The EE Rooster is pure for the Beard gene, so I'd at least expect very few of his offspring would actually be beardless.

If the rooster is pure for the beard gene (has two copies), then EVERY chick he sires will inherit the beard gene.

If he ever produces a chick with no beard, you will know he is NOT pure for the beard gene.

(But that says nothing about how large or small a chick's beard would be, so I suppose there is a chance of a chick with a small beard that might be mistaken for beardless.)

I think you can rule out the Silkie just based on the traits of the chick. He just has so many dominant traits that the chick should have at least something from that side, yet it doesn't. Sure, he could be hetero for all of those traits, but the odds of that, on top of the odds of the chick still not inheriting any of them, are just altogether so, so slim.

I agree that the Silkie is quite unlikely as the father. I wouldn't 100% rule him out, but probably 90-something percent ruled out.

 

[MysteryChicken]

If the rooster is pure for the beard gene (has two copies), then EVERY chick he sires will inherit the beard gene.

If he ever produces a chick with no beard, you will know he is NOT pure for the beard gene.

(But that says nothing about how large or small a chick's beard would be, so I suppose there is a chance of a chick with a small beard that might be mistaken for beardless.)


I agree that the Silkie is quite unlikely as the father. I wouldn't 100% rule him out, but probably 90-something percent ruled out.

Will update if there's any sign of a beard.

I'm giving the Silkie about a 10% chance also.

 

[nicalandia]

Sorry if I dont coment on those chicks, I am tired and dont have the strength to coment on what are basically mongrels.