What a mix! Got one?

[WestKnollAmy]

We just had a chick to hatch out today that was under an Araucana hen and realized that DD had put the blue egg from her Brahma mix in the batch! The chick is feather legged and the Brahma hen is in with our white bantam Cochin roo!

I wondered why that egg was a bit smaller since the Araucanas eggs are larger but thought one of the young pullets might have slipped one in the batch. I was too silly to take it out.

It is an adorable chick with black top and white underneath. The Brahma hen is a blue with gold hackle and the Cochin roo being white we just can't wait to see what this mix is going to bring about. It seems to already have a large size comb so I am sure I have yet another roo on my hands!

Has anyone crossed up a Brahma and a bantam Cochin?

 

[cjeanean]

*sigh* Nifty needs to add a new rule to the list....NO ANIMAL POSTING WITHOUT PICS!!!! And the only exceptions are those without a camera, and u MUST state the fact that you have no camera when u post....

Congrats on the surprise!!!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Awwww! I'll try to get some pix tomorrow.
I don't know if I could photograph the little bugger or not. The hen is tolerant but I don't usually mess with the chicks much. It was DD that picked it up and looked it over. Rotten kid!

 

[gritsar]

The only "mix" I have is Lilith. It's been decided that she is a cross between a dark brahma and a buff. She's my favorite eye candy, but don't tell the other hens that.
I'd love to see pics of your mix up.
Lilith:

 

[miss_jayne]

yep! love my mutts! ameraucana/australorp and they just started laying yesterday...got a really dark olive green egg today!

 

[mikarod]

Quote:
That's no mix!!!!!

That's a full Buff Brahma! The underfluff on Brahmas is supposed to be a VERY dark gray color. This usually shows up in the top most part of the feather...giving that "lacing" look. It's HARD to get a top feather without having the black lacing...yet STILL having a nice color on the down!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I'm not sure I understand your explanation mikarod, but I'm very tired so I'm sure that's to blame.
I only call Lilith a mix because when we posted pics of her earlier this year that's what everyone seemed to agree on.
Doesn't matter to me. I love her and I think she's very pretty. She has a sister marked the same way, but with the black lacing not near as sharp.
If I get chicks in the spring I'm probably going to have some pretty interesting mixes. My roos are one dark and one light and I have hens of all three colors light, dark, and buff.
OT - Have you ever seen my dark roo, goodness he's awesome.

 

[mikarod]

OK...in Brahmas there is supposed to be a VERY dark underfluff to each and every feather. Most breeders have a lighter fluff so that the top (lighter colored) feather won't show the darker pigment. Pretty much...the feather changes color as it gets to the surface. In SOME birds, usually hatchery stock birds, this black color isn't "hidden" as well and shows as a type of lacing or pencilling in the surface feathers.

Here is Raptor. You can't see it as well on him, but if you look by his hocks you can see the pencilling I'm talking about. He's pure Light Brahma, but he is 3rd generation hatchery stock. We were working AWAY from hatchery, but he died this past summer.

 

[gritsar]

Oh okay, I understand better now. Thanks for the explanation. As I don't really intend to ever get into breeding, except to replace hens for my own backyard I guess it doesn't matter. They are the sweetest birds! I have noticed that some of my darks are closest to the breed standard. Here's Thor:

(I apologize if you've seen him before, but I do love showing him off)

Nadine, I apologize for hijacking your thread. The mixes can be very interesting.

 

[mikarod]

Thor is a PRETTY little man isn't he?!

Gorgeous!!!! Then again...I LOVE Brahmas!