Unexpected chick colors

[AinaWGSD]

I will preface this by saying I haven't yet separated my flock into breeding pens, so I don't actually know the parentage of the confusing chicks.

I have 4 roosters, 2 buckeyes (black tailed red) and 2 malines black barred). Hens are mostly buckeyes, 4 malines, and 1 solid blue easter egger. Most of the chicks I hatched are black barred, they could be either malines or malines/buckeye crosses.

I expected any pure buckeyes to hatch out red.

These are the buckeyes hatched last year, the parents of the buckeye chicks i hatched this weekend. This is what I expected any buckeye chicks to look like.

The 8 non-black chicks all hatched far more yellow and striped than I expected. I'd appreciate any help figuring out what this means.

From what I understand, buckeyes are wheaten based with Columbian and mahogany plus another gene that darkens the red. Do these light colored chicks mean one of these genes is missing (hen or rooster or both heterozygous instead of homozygous)?

 

[NatJ]

I will preface this by saying I haven't yet separated my flock into breeding pens, so I don't actually know the parentage of the confusing chicks.

I have 4 roosters, 2 buckeyes (black tailed red) and 2 malines black barred). Hens are mostly buckeyes, 4 malines, and 1 solid blue easter egger. Most of the chicks I hatched are black barred, they could be either malines or malines/buckeye crosses.

Could any of the chicks have come from the Easter Egger?
If she lays blue or green eggs, and the others all lay shades of brown, you probably know whether you set any of hers.

From what I understand, buckeyes are wheaten based with Columbian and mahogany plus another gene that darkens the red. Do these light colored chicks mean one of these genes is missing (hen or rooster or both heterozygous instead of homozygous)?

Likely yes, one or another of those genes missing.

Or else you've got one or more Malines that are missing a gene for Extended Black, in which case the confusing chicks could be pure "Malines" or Malines/Buckeye crosses.

Looking at your puzzling chicks, I'm wondering if some of them have the Silver gene instead of gold. Buckeyes have the gold gene, but many black barred chicks do have the silver gene, so an off-color Malines or a Malines/Buckeye cross might show silver.

If Malines have single combs and Buckeyes have pea combs, then you may be able to sort out all the parentage as the chicks grow. Pure Malines and pure Buckeyes would have the correct comb types for their breed, and mixed chicks would have heterozygous pea combs (usually a bit larger and blobbier than a pure pea comb, but not as skinny and tall and spiky as a single comb.)

 

[AinaWGSD]

Thanks for your thoughts @NatJ I had briefly considered if there might be a way these chicks could be malines crosses. I had assumed they were all homozygous for extended black.

I am confident my Easter egger's eggs could not be confused for either of the other breeds, they're a distinct green.

I agree, the combs may be my best clue. Right now they're too little to see clearly yet.

 

[NatJ]

I am confident my Easter egger's eggs could not be confused for either of the other breeds, they're a distinct green.

I did not expect you to mix them up. I just wondered whether you put any of them in the incubator

Thanks for your thoughts @NatJ I had briefly considered if there might be a way these chicks could be malines crosses. I had assumed they were all homozygous for extended black.

I would assume the Malines to be homozygous for Extended Black-- but since something weird is going on, I figured me might at least consider that alternative too.

I agree, the combs may be my best clue. Right now they're too little to see clearly yet.

I'd love to see updates as they grow!

 

[AinaWGSD]

I did not expect you to mix them up. I just wondered whether you put any of them in the incubator

Oh, I definitely did! I used dividers so I know which 5 are hers. 3 blue and 2 black

 

[NatJ]

Oh, I definitely did! I used dividers so I know which 5 are hers. 3 blue and 2 black View attachment 4300652View attachment 4300653

That definitely helps narrow down the choices for the confusing ones!

 

[AinaWGSD]

Almost 2 weeks old now

At least two of them have light feathering coming in on the legs. Which should mean a malines parent (i say "should" because I have had buckeyes with feather stubs between their toes, so I'm not ruling them out entirely)

I think that's a pea comb. But way too small yet to tell if it's a regular pea comb or modified.

 

[NatJ]

Almost 2 weeks old now

Interesting coloring. I can't decide whether I'm seeing silver in there, or a very light gold. Either way, it's not normal for Buckeye or Malines, and it's not what would be expected from a cross either.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks as they get older, too.

At least two of them have light feathering coming in on the legs. Which should mean a malines parent (i say "should" because I have had buckeyes with feather stubs between their toes, so I'm not ruling them out entirely)

I agree, both about the "should" and about not ruling them out entirely

I think that's a pea comb. But way too small yet to tell if it's a regular pea comb or modified.

I agree, that looks like a pea comb rather than a single comb. Yes, too young/small to tell if it's a pure pea comb or a modified one.

So it looks like the feet and the comb are pointing in the direction of a Buckeye/Malines cross being more likely than the other options, but no certainty yet.