What does a black BLR Wyandotte look like?

[Blisschick]

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Brassiness is easy to see on a bird. It means that the hackles (neck) and saddle (back feathers) have a orangy-rusty color to them, not the same deep red as the rest of the feathering. You want the color to be consistently deep red (like a RIR) throughout the entire body. I have two birds I could show you this with, it's just a matter of me getting a camera to get pics.

 

[Blisschick]

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Blackdotte is right, the rosecomb fraction is somewhat delicate compared to the single comb, hence the problem with low fertility connected with rosecombs. Having the single gene in the flock is actually a good thing, so you don't really want to get rid of it even though you wouldn't be able to show those birds that have one. I've been told by some BLRW breeders that you want to use a single combed roo over rosecombed hens because for some reason, that combination tends to throw less single combed chicks. I know I have it in my flock, but I don't see as many single combs as one might think. I might get one for every 10-15 chicks that hatch.

 

[Cara]

That's really interesting

So if you pen two rosecombs together, then separate and collect the eggs after three days, they'll either not hatch or be single combed? If I keep my Blues together all the time can I guarantee no single combs? Sorry, genetics isn't my strong point.

 

[Blisschick]

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This could only *possibly* work if the single combed gene is present in your flock. If it's not, then theoretically, it won't work and all your eggs could be infertile. What Blackdotte was saying is that any sperm with the rosecomb gene is only viable for about three days, because it's more...um...delicate, is the word that comes to mind, but probably not right. The sperm with the single combed gene is more robust and therefore will survive a lot longer.

Color has no effect on comb type. They are two separate sets of genes.