What color is this Polish rooster?

[MetalSmitten]

What color would you call this? I've never seen one quite like this guy. Any idea what the genetics behind this are? Thanks!

 

[chooks4life]

Still learning about this stuff myself, very much just starting to get into it, but this site has a bunch of very informative articles on it.
Quote: He looks quite good for a Polish. Most of them I see have very ruffled, unkempt appearances with dull feathers, almost doesn't matter who's showing them from what bloodlines.

Best wishes.

 

[ChookRanger]

Black and white and red all over. Not sure if that's an official color name.

 

[chooks4life]

He appears to have a grey chest and belly though, or is that just the camera?

 

[MetalSmitten]

Thanks for the link - I'll take some time later (when it's not Christmas hah) to look through some of those articles

His chest/belly is kind of a chocolately/rosy grey color. He's got bright copper hackle feathers, rich chocolate back, black and copper saddle feathers, and a black and white crest. He makes no sense.

He looks quite good for a Polish. Most of them I see have very ruffled, unkempt appearances with dull feathers, almost doesn't matter who's showing them from what bloodlines.

^ Really? Mine have never had that problem, they all look like normal healthy happy birds just with puff-heads. My other Polish rooster is a crele and he is just gorgeous, super shiny and all sorts of strutty, proud of himself type attitude. I have a fairly small flock though, maybe in larger flocks they can't compete as well for food or something?

 

[chooks4life]

Thanks for the link - I'll take some time later (when it's not Christmas hah) to look through some of those articles

His chest/belly is kind of a chocolately/rosy grey color. He's got bright copper hackle feathers, rich chocolate back, black and copper saddle feathers, and a black and white crest. He makes no sense.

^ Really? Mine have never had that problem, they all look like normal healthy happy birds just with puff-heads. My other Polish rooster is a crele and he is just gorgeous, super shiny and all sorts of strutty, proud of himself type attitude. I have a fairly small flock though, maybe in larger flocks they can't compete as well for food or something?

No, flock size isn't it, most Polish I see are in small Polish-only flocks due to their tendency to inspire bullying with their outrageous hairdos. I'd expect it's partly down to genetics and partly down to diet and environment. I think you've got a healthy line and are feeding them a diet that is pretty decent. What do you feed them?

(I don't have Polish, but I did have to cull out that hairdo in some of my mongrels after crossing Silkie mixes with other mutts, lol. Didn't appreciate how it made them more susceptible to predators and less keen to free range due to reduced sight).

The chicken breeding is some complicated stuff in terms of understanding the genetics as a beginner, but there's a bunch of people on this forum that could really explain things well, you'd need to look into the breeding/genetics threads though. Most of the resident genetics experts don't seem to go to the unanswered section to try to help newbies out, probably because not too many newbies ask for such complex info.

Best wishes.

 

[MetalSmitten]

No, flock size isn't it, most Polish I see are in small Polish-only flocks due to their tendency to inspire bullying with their outrageous hairdos. I'd expect it's partly down to genetics and partly down to diet and environment. I think you've got a healthy line and are feeding them a diet that is pretty decent. What do you feed them?

(I don't have Polish, but I did have to cull out that hairdo in some of my mongrels after crossing Silkie mixes with other mutts, lol. Didn't appreciate how it made them more susceptible to predators and less keen to free range due to reduced sight).

The chicken breeding is some complicated stuff in terms of understanding the genetics as a beginner, but there's a bunch of people on this forum that could really explain things well, you'd need to look into the breeding/genetics threads though. Most of the resident genetics experts don't seem to go to the unanswered section to try to help newbies out, probably because not too many newbies ask for such complex info.

Best wishes.

Yeah, I have no real idea about the lines these Polish came from, I got them from a local (non-serious) breeder and have no idea where she got her stock from. I'm not a serious breeder either obviously, these guys are my pets, so I tend to favor healthy, friendly and unique-looking birds over type-y or high-production stock. I don't do much special as far as feed either, normally they have access to a large run (about 50' by 60' or so, with a flock of fewer than a dozen banties on it) with pasture grass/weeds/bugs/etc and then mid-grade commercial feed pellets. More pellets right now since it's winter. They also get most of my kitchen scraps - you can see my silkie in the background of the pictures picking at the remains of a Halloween pumpkin.

I have a basic grasp on the common genetics but I've literally never seen this kind of coloration before hah Not super familiar with the chocolately brown coloration at all. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about it!

 

[chooks4life]

I tried to look up some info on your bird, according to the various genetics calculators and infosheets out there, but that's a task that will take some time and then only be a guess anyway. Sorry, definitely a job for someone better read than myself, lol.

Best wishes.

 

[rainbowrooster]

It may well be a mix of Polish varieties. His type looks to good to be mixed with a non Polish bird.