Welsummer pattern

[pinewoodacres]

I’ve seen various thoughts on the feather pattern of a Welsummer hen and wanted to see if anyone could offer some clarity. What genes are in play here? Why does the male not present with this pattern…is it sex-linked in some way? And any thoughts on how this will play with barring?

Pic of one of my girls, two more are behind her but you can’t really see them. You can see how it’s not really lacing or pencilling.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[nicalandia]

I’ve seen various thoughts on the feather pattern of a Welsummer hen and wanted to see if anyone could offer some clarity. What genes are in play here? Why does the male not present with this pattern…is it sex-linked in some way? And any thoughts on how this will play with barring?

Pic of one of my girls, two more are behind her but you can’t really see them. You can see how it’s not really lacing or pencilling.

Thanks for any insight.

View attachment 2991697

Her patter is called light brown or black breasted red(which is a gold based wildtype e+) and it's not sex linked but Sex-Hormone determined(there are plenty of males showing this patter with Hen feathering mutation)

 

[pinewoodacres]

I know about that part, but I am not sure about the feather pattern itself. Is this Pg?

 

[nicalandia]

I know about that part, but I am not sure about the feather pattern itself. Is this Pg?

no Pg

e+ it's quite difficult to get the pattern gene to work with the e+ allele

 

[pinewoodacres]

no Pg

e+ it's quite difficult to get the pattern gene to work with the e+ allele

Interesting. Okay, so to what do we attribute the black patterning on the feathers?

 

[nicalandia]

Interesting. Okay, so to what do we attribute the black patterning on the feathers?

Just the natural Wildtype pattern of a hen


Red Jungle Fowl females

 

[pinewoodacres]

Okay. Thank you for the additional pics, it does look pretty similar in those.

 

[Amer]

Welsummers aren’t just gold duckwing/wild type though. They also have the mahogany gene! That is why they are more orangey than gold and why males have solid red (streak free) necks and have red speckling on the breast. A more accurate term for the coloring would be red duckwing. It was especially obvious that mahogany was present when I had a Welsummer crossed with a wheaten Ameraucana.

 

[Amer]

(Not my pic) presence of red/mahogany:

 

[pinewoodacres]

Welsummers aren’t just gold duckwing/wild type though. They also have the mahogany gene! That is why they are more orangey than gold and why males have solid red (streak free) necks and have red speckling on the breast. A more accurate term for the coloring would be red duckwing. It was especially obvious that mahogany was present when I had a Welsummer crossed with a wheaten Ameraucana.

Yes! I knew about this already also, I just had not figured out if there’s something causing the black patterning on the feathers or what.

The reason I’m asking is bc I’m using them in a cross. The first gen was out of my Welsummer rooster I had to get rid of. I only have these three females left to use for my project and I just hatched the first chicks from them. I only got one girl out of my F1s (crossed with Legbars) and she looks just like a Welsummer with the black pattern on her feathers. I backcrossed one of my F1 boys to my Welsummer girls and I’m just curious what I can expect them to look like. It looks like some got the barring gene from the sire. I’m most excited actually to see how mahogany and cream play together once/if I can get them homo for both.