What's wrong with their feathers?

[BovieVei]

Hey, check this out---
http://greenfirefarms.com/store/category/chickens/hedemora/
I know it's extremely unlikely, but take a look at the feathers on these guys. Any possible way they have the same mutation or gene? (Doesn't look like it's on the roosters, however...)

 

[AquaEyes]

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It most likely IS the same mutation. Silky feathering has popped up in a few breeds without crossing from the silkie breed, as well as having popped up in different species. Think of it this way -- there is a gene that makes a protein that's necessary for feathers to turn out "zippable." If a mutation happened in that gene (in other words, some kind of mistake that prevented that protein from being made, or causing a different protein to be made that doesn't work the same way as the original), the effect would be silky feathers -- and it wouldn't matter where the "mistake" in the gene happened, just that a "mistake" happened somewhere.

ETA -- I should add that confirmation would be possible if a silky-feathered Hedemora X Silkie produced silky-feathered offspring, then confirmation of it being the same mutation would be possible. It could also be that two different mutations occurred that show the same phenotype. A similar occurrence happened with Rex cats. The Devon Rex and the Cornish Rex have similar coats but they result from two different mutations. When a Devon is crossed to a Cornish, the offspring have regular coats but are split to both mutations.

I was thinking of this but didn't add it right away because I'm on campus right now, and had to leave the building because of a fire drill.

 

[KellyHM]

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Congrats on your progress!!!

So you're saying that of the 7 you hatched, none were Fluffy? That's kind of annoying. Did all the eggs hatch? I've been reading that there have been hatch issues, and I wonder if that might have affected your outcomes. You have great potential, though, having a pair of F1's from different breeders -- you'll be widening the genepool for the Fluffies, when you eventually get some.

How do the F1's look? And the F2's? Are they looking like strong, healthy birds? How was the egg color in the F1 mother hen?

I lost that pair of F1's not long after I hatched these chicks. I lost them while I was out of town, so not sure what happened but I was pretty

at the pet sitter. Anyways...I did hatch 1 fluffy F2, but it drowned itself in the waterer at 3 weeks old.

(These guys drive me crazy!) The rest of them have been healthy up to this piont (knock on wood). Egg color from the F1 was nice, although a little lighter than I would prefer.

 

[KellyHM]

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I sent you F1xFluffy from my B line. The A line isn't laying yet - I'm hoping to see an improvement in their egg coloring, as the B line turned out to be very pale!

We'll have to exchange again when you've got some laying!!

Would love to hatch some more from you whenever you have some!

 

[KellyHM]

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[AquaEyes]

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Congrats on your progress!!!

So you're saying that of the 7 you hatched, none were Fluffy? That's kind of annoying. Did all the eggs hatch? I've been reading that there have been hatch issues, and I wonder if that might have affected your outcomes. You have great potential, though, having a pair of F1's from different breeders -- you'll be widening the genepool for the Fluffies, when you eventually get some.

How do the F1's look? And the F2's? Are they looking like strong, healthy birds? How was the egg color in the F1 mother hen?

I lost that pair of F1's not long after I hatched these chicks. I lost them while I was out of town, so not sure what happened but I was pretty

at the pet sitter. Anyways...I did hatch 1 fluffy F2, but it drowned itself in the waterer at 3 weeks old.

(These guys drive me crazy!) The rest of them have been healthy up to this piont (knock on wood). Egg color from the F1 was nice, although a little lighter than I would prefer.

Aw, that sux....sorry to hear about your misfortunes. Well, on the bright side, from what I've learned, it's easier to improve eggs that are blue but are too pale than it is to improve eggs that are greenish. So at least there's one less thing to worry about.

 

[alicefelldown]

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Send me a PM!

 

[elieugene6]

Ok, I have a splash roo hatched directly from jubabys eggs. He is the only one I have and I don't think I am going to end up doing a fluffy ameraucana project. I have to many projects already. Would anyone be interested in him if I put him up for auction? He seems to be very healthy and he is of mating age. I love the fluffy ameraucanas but I am mostly in to wheaten and blue wheaten which someday I will have real ones. Right now they are off a bit so considered easter eggers. I know someone would be able to use him, and honestly with 2 kids and my fiance laid off I could use the money to care for my animals or buy christmas presents. So if there is interest I will put up an auction this week. I do ship.

He does have some brown leakage. Not sure why or if it has shown up in the others from her eggs. My other reason for getting rid of him is I am having a fox problem and the last thing I need is a chicken worth as much as him getting eaten. The fox has proven to have expensive tastes. Only goes for rare and expensive breeds.

 

[alicefelldown]

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It has popped up in mine as well - my original male splash fluffy from her eggs has leakage (I don't have any recent pictures though). He did pass it to about half of his sons through an unrelated female (splash boys have red/brown on wings, blue boys have gold on wings).

How is the tail on your boy? I'd be interested in seeing pictures and possibly using him in my program.

 

[ChooksChick]

I have determined finally that the only baby to have hatched from the few eggs my split laid last spring is indeed a pullet. I have also lost all but the split blue hen (improved by outside lines, hatched by Jubaby) and the Splash roo. It's been so sad to see these birds grow and mature and to love them and then have them suddenly pass- and I'm really just very much anticipating a generation of improved birds!!

Fortunately, I have two lovely red pyle Ameraucana project hens in there with Tuco (my fuzzy roo) and one began laying this week. I have 4 eggs and will set them with whatever is laid tomorrow, if one is laid. I'm really hoping they're fertile, and I'm really hoping to get some improved offspring. No clue what the coloration would be, but that's fine.