Unexpected color on chick

[Worm94]

Hello I am new here and I have a question that I haven't been able to figure out the answer to (and it might be a simple answer, but I'm also new to having my own birds). I've attached pics, I hope I've done it right, of the birds in question, though the newest one is still in the incubator and so that picture might not be the best. Anyway!
My boy there is some kind of Araucana/EE mutt, I do not know what he is but the picture of the two chicks together is him and his brother as babies. He had that really cute dark chipmunk pattern there and as an adult he's black and red and I Think but I'm not sure that he's got gold instead of silver going on? Anyway his feet are slate (or blueish? I'm not sure how to word it, and the hen's feet are yellow with a bluish overlay).
The barred hen is a cuckoo maran, I'm pretty sure, though she's got some gold around her neck there and her sisters have a bit more.
The thing is, from the little I know, I thought that if a non-barred rooster was paired with a barred hen, that the babies would be sex linked with the hens being solid and the roosters having that spot on their heads.
But the baby there is white! I need to get better pictures of him, but the reason I know who his parents are is because only the boy there (Monkey) had that chipmunk pattern as a baby and I know all the hens by their eggs so I know who laid the egg he came out of.
And he isn't entirely white either, because of the chipmunk pattern. Right now I can't tell if it's dark brown striping or black but either way I didn't expect him to look like he does.
I'm so sorry for the wall of text explanation of everything but I was wondering if you guys had any ideas about why he looks like that! And maybe even what color he might grow up to be? Because he also has pink feet and I was reading somewhere about shank color and how it can be connected to sexing but I'm still not totally sure I understand. Thank you for reading if you got this far!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I was wondering if you guys had any ideas about why he looks like that!

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Your rooster, I can't make him out and (you know) he's not pure.. but wheaten chicks hatch out blondish and males turn dark later like he is (salmon faverolles also might be a good example of hatching a different color) while females stay the more buffish pattern.. but if they aren't dark at hatch normally then they may not sex link so easily.. as expected.. This is of course only one possibility that I can come up with.. but your rooster's still got a light head even now..

I don't know if it's possible or not but I *think* so that a genetically black barred bird could be hiding another color pattern underneath..

The barring may still be present just not visible at hatch until more of the pattern comes and may still depend on sex linkage (or gender of juvenile)..

Please note I'm an armature enthusiast regarding genetics and enjoying the journey (to nowhere). I look forward to seeing other (hopefully more knowledgeable) replies!

Thanks for sharing your adventure!

 

[Worm94]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Your rooster, I can't make him out and (you know) he's not pure.. but wheaten chicks hatch out blondish and males turn dark later like he is (salmon faverolles also might be a good example of hatching a different color) while females stay the more buffish pattern.. but if they aren't dark at hatch normally then they may not sex link so easily.. as expected.. This is of course only one possibility that I can come up with.. but your rooster's still got a light head even now..

I don't know if it's possible or not but I *think* so that a genetically black barred bird could be hiding another color pattern underneath..

The barring may still be present just not visible at hatch until more of the pattern comes and may still depend on sex linkage (or gender of juvenile)..

Please note I'm an armature enthusiast regarding genetics and enjoying the journey (to nowhere). I look forward to seeing other (hopefully more knowledgeable) replies!

Thanks for sharing your adventure!

I hadn't considered wheaten but I do know he did kinda look like a salmon faverolle, even though I'm pretty sure he isn't one (Note: I could be wrong, he might be mixed with faverolle? He came out of a green egg though)! Here's a couple of pics that better show him off (he is my favorite boy, these pics r from last fall actually because it's so dreary right now I struggle to take good pics). If the barring comes in later and that baby chicken is wheaten that would be a super pretty bird I think.
Also something I totally forgot to mention above: at hatch, Monkey had pink feet and a pink beak, just like this chicken and the dark feet came in later too.

I'm also a total newbie when it comes to this kinda thing but it is fun so far!! and thank you for your thoughts, all this just makes me more excited for the future of hatches (and I do wonder if the hen carries other genes that are just ovrshadowed by the barring too!)

 

[Worm94]

Update to their colors! They've got yellowish patches but are mostly white on their fluff, one is getting feathered feet though which tells me the mother of this one is actually one of my buff Brahmas! Somehow, despite that they both have very very similar colors and patterns coming in, making me more sure about the potential dad.
I don't think what I'm seeing is barring though, not on the one who hatched from the barred hen.

 

[KKicons]

I hadn't considered wheaten but I do know he did kinda look like a salmon faverolle, even though I'm pretty sure he isn't one (Note: I could be wrong, he might be mixed with faverolle? He came out of a green egg though)! Here's a couple of pics that better show him off (he is my favorite boy, these pics r from last fall actually because it's so dreary right now I struggle to take good pics). If the barring comes in later and that baby chicken is wheaten that would be a super pretty bird I think.
Also something I totally forgot to mention above: at hatch, Monkey had pink feet and a pink beak, just like this chicken and the dark feet came in later too.

I'm also a total newbie when it comes to this kinda thing but it is fun so far!! and thank you for your thoughts, all this just makes me more excited for the future of hatches (and I do wonder if the hen carries other genes that are just ovrshadowed by the barring too!)

This one looks like it has a lot of americauna. EEs can really have surprising colors. I had a speckled silver and black one from the feed store before. Blue black splash genetics can also create a surprise splash bird (such as from 2 blue ones, which sometimes look more black.) that splash can then be used to create more blue birbs.

 

[Worm94]

This one looks like it has a lot of americauna. EEs can really have surprising colors. I had a speckled silver and black one from the feed store before. Blue black splash genetics can also create a surprise splash bird (such as from 2 blue ones, which sometimes look more black.) that splash can then be used to create more blue birbs.

That is super cool!! I do love EEs, I guess I just hadn't thought about how much that could change the outcomes! Does that mean that EE colors can overcome the barring gene too, then? Or does that mean I've got a little hen there, since she doesn't have the barring and I'd expect it on a potential roo? Or maybe if it is a roo, does that mean the barring will show up later over top of whatever color it turns out as?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm just excited about all of this! One of my other boys is a paint or splash, not 100 percent which but I think if I cross him with some of my other birds I'll get blue as well (and I have a blue rooster, who's already given me a blue pullet, and I really love blue so far cause it's super pretty). I'll have a lotta blue birds is what it sounds like though.

 

[KKicons]

That is super cool!! I do love EEs, I guess I just hadn't thought about how much that could change the outcomes! Does that mean that EE colors can overcome the barring gene too, then? Or does that mean I've got a little hen there, since she doesn't have the barring and I'd expect it on a potential roo? Or maybe if it is a roo, does that mean the barring will show up later over top of whatever color it turns out as?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm just excited about all of this! One of my other boys is a paint or splash, not 100 percent which but I think if I cross him with some of my other birds I'll get blue as well (and I have a blue rooster, who's already given me a blue pullet, and I really love blue so far cause it's super pretty). I'll have a lotta blue birds is what it sounds like though.

I think about these questions a lot and I will try to look it up. I just had a similar cross where I was curious if a Barred hen and a roo with no barring produced a chick with a white spot on its head. Maybe you need a picture of that LOL. I just found out that a 20 Page article has been produced that has detailed info on this type of cross using mixed birds, and especially resulting in F1 sexable at hatch Olive and blue eggers. It's either a membership which seems like a pretty good deal, or or you have to buy the article though. I can post the info if anyone is interested. By the person's other articles, I bet it's incredibly detailed and it has good clear pictures.

 

[Worm94]

I think about these questions a lot and I will try to look it up. I just had a similar cross where I was curious if a Barred hen and a roo with no barring produced a chick with a white spot on its head. Maybe you need a picture of that LOL.

One of the babies actually does have less of a chipmunk pattern than the other, and granted the mom is a different hen but so far we are leaning towards thinking he's the boy! I'll keep posting pictures as they mature, too, since I'm very invested (and I plan to put that rooster with some of the hens by himself for a while too some time this year because I really want to see all the possible variations from him).
But I think if I'm right I may have figured out at least one way to accurately sex his chicks!
Currently since the two chicks have separate moms I can only guess, but the Brahma chick (the suspected boy) has slower feather growth than the other and his wings are a different shape. His chipmunk pattern is different also, not as strong on the head and his feet are remaining yellow while the other one's feet are starting to darken (the dad has dark feet n the mom doesn't).
The one I think is a girl is from a Cuckoo Maran's egg -- and so I don't have any boys from that hen to compare her to yet, but I will be trying that cross too because I want to know if the boys will be barred at all.

Edit: Also I would b interested in hearing more about the olive egger/barred crosses from whatever article that is!

 

[KKicons]

I hadn't considered wheaten but I do know he did kinda look like a salmon faverolle, even though I'm pretty sure he isn't one (Note: I could be wrong, he might be mixed with faverolle? He came out of a green egg though)! Here's a couple of pics that better show him off (he is my favorite boy, these pics r from last fall actually because it's so dreary right now I struggle to take good pics). If the barring comes in later and that baby chicken is wheaten that would be a super pretty bird I think.
Also something I totally forgot to mention above: at hatch, Monkey had pink feet and a pink beak, just like this chicken and the dark feet came in later too.

I'm also a total newbie when it comes to this kinda thing but it is fun so far!! and thank you for your thoughts, all this just makes me more excited for the future of hatches (and I do wonder if the hen carries other genes that are just ovrshadowed by the barring too!)

He really looks like an americauna to me, but is that the one that came from a green egg rather than a blue egg? I found out favacana is a thing, so of course I also hope I have that thing. But the farm that some of mine came from has those breeds so here's hoping. If you look them up it's the chick that never loses its cuteness and floofiness. (At least to this owner who loves them.) It's been a while since I took these so I'll have to take some updated ones.
The one in question is in the middle.
Also from an unknown egg but I know the farm has lots of speckled eggs, blue eggs, and salmon falvarolles.

 

[Worm94]

He really looks like an americauna to me, but is that the one that came from a green egg rather than a blue egg? I found out favacana is a thing, so of course I also hope I have that thing. But the farm that some of mine came from has those breeds so here's hoping. If you look them up it's the chick that never loses its cuteness and floofiness. (At least to this owner who loves them.) It's been a while since I took these so I'll have to take some updated ones. View attachment 3784126
The one in question is in the middle. View attachment 3784125
Also from an unknown egg but I know the farm has lots of speckled eggs, blue eggs, and salmon falvarolles.

Yes, the egg he came out of was a really lovely green one!
Also I hadn't heard of favacaunas but they sound (and look) adorable! If he is a favacauna that would be super cool honestly, his colors really do resemble faverolle boys but the rest of his shape is not right. Also ever since I saw a picture of faverolles I've wanted at least one or two, because they do seem like such cute birds and the fluffy ones are my weakness (hence the Brahmas too, honestly).
I would definitely love to see some updated pictures of your birds oh my gosh!! They're so cute, and I'm curious how their colors all turned out


Anyway, we had bought the eggs from someone on ebay so I have no idea what his parentage was. I do know they had Ayam Cemani, because we have a white leghorn cross boy now from that place too (but they were shipped eggs, so only he and his colorful egg brother ended up hatching, so obviously we had to keep them both).