This Rooster Ilustrates Why It's Difficult to Judge Mixes

[speckledhen]

That hen is at least two or three generations crossed. A first generation Silkie mix would have a crest.

You'd think so. But, see, as I was getting across,, there is no way anyone would truly guess C.J.'s parentage. His looks alone don't show anything except blue plumage and white skin and a sort of pea comb, though it was really more of a single with no points on it.

Whoever guessed Cochin was the closest to any of it, though.

 

[21hens-incharge]

She is super cute but such a hot mess.

I would never have guessed that.



It does make me a little frustrated seeing reposts wanting to know what went into making their mixed bird.

Makes me want to answer "chicken, yup definitely a chicken"

 

[junebuggena]

It depends, though. I on rare occasion had a beardless Ameraucana hatch from my BBS line which originated with Cree Farms stock, if you remember them. If the mother was not pure for pea comb, that would do it. But, some genetics person here told me that when you cross rose x pea, about 25% of the combs can be singles.

The only way you can get single combs from rose and pea comb parents is if they are both carrying the single comb gene, which would mean they are not pure for their respective combs.

 

[21hens-incharge]

You'd think so. But, see, as I was getting across,, there is no way anyone would truly guess C.J.'s parentage. His looks alone don't show anything except blue plumage and white skin and a sort of pea comb, though it was really more of a single with no points on it.

Whoever guessed Cochin was the closest to any of it, though.

I believe it was on page one @Mary Sue mentioned them.

 

[junebuggena]

You'd think so. But, see, as I was getting across,, there is no way anyone would truly guess C.J.'s parentage. His looks alone don't show anything except blue plumage and white skin and a sort of pea comb, though it was really more of a single with no points on it.

Whoever guessed Cochin was the closest to any of it, though.

A properly bred Silkie crossed to a properly bred Cochin will produce crested offspring. That hen is not crested, therefore the Silkie in the ancestry was not actually a Silkie, but a mixed breed.

 

[speckledhen]

I do believe that Rita was BLRW x Blue Ameraucana. She looked identical to a BLRW chick at hatch. She did hatch from a blue egg, same as the rest of them. But, my hen, Tiny, who has obvious Sumatra lineage, a throwback, also hatched from a blue egg out of the same flock as Rita came from, could have had the same mother.

 

[junebuggena]

I do believe that Rita was BLRW x Blue Ameraucana. She looked identical to a BLRW chick at hatch. She did hatch from a blue egg, same as the rest of them. But, my hen, Tiny, who has obvious Sumatra lineage, a throwback, also hatched from a blue egg out of the same flock as Rita came from, could have had the same mother.

Which is just further proof that the BBS line was not exactly purebred and had other things mixed in.

 

[junebuggena]

This guy is a pretty decent quality Barred Rock, better than what most hatcheries produce. Except that the only Barred Rock in his pedigree is two generations back. He's actually 75% Easter Egger (hatchery sourced).

 

[speckledhen]

She is super cute but such a hot mess.

I would never have guessed that.



It does make me a little frustrated seeing reposts wanting to know what went into making their mixed bird.

Makes me want to answer "chicken, yup definitely a chicken"

Exactly right and my point!

The only way you can get single combs from rose and pea comb parents is if they are both carrying the single comb gene, which would mean they are not pure for their respective combs.

I am sure you are correct about that. Here is the photo of the birds that Rita and Tiny came from. Not sure whose sire Tiny is, but when I questioned her Sumatra-like body type and other things about her that were not Ameraucana, the breeder said she got her Ameraucana rooster from another breeder who used to breed Blue Sumatras. Bingo.

Rita. I watched her hatch from her blue egg and was floored when I saw red fuzz. Her underfluff was blue and she had faint lacing on her feathers (she passed away this year).

And Tiny, who hatched from the same flock, but I'm sure the Wyandotte was not her sire. She also lays brown eggs.

 

[BantyChooks]

Makes me want to answer "chicken, yup definitely a chicken"