Why does my Buff Orpington cock have different color tail feathers?

[wordgirl]

He is a hatchery bird, so maybe that's all that's going on, but he has white and dark (blackish) in his tail feathers. Does this mean that there was some other breed recently in his ancestry?

He's also giant, but maybe that's just him.

Thanks for your help.

 

[houndit]

It is probably just because he is a hatchery bird. There birds are often not perfect. He is very pretty none the less.

 

[lildinkem]

It could be stress. I heard some folks say that can happen.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Some one else posted about this very same thing recently!! I think it was Mrs Fluffy Puffy? Anyway... my boy has the same thing and i never noticed it till a couple weeks ago... interesting!

 

[wordgirl]

Quote:
He DID lose his tail – pretty much all of it – last September (we think most likely a coyote or fox grabbed him), and now it's grown back in, so maybe the white is from that. But I think I remember him having some dark in his first tail – I'm not sure about the white.

 

[lildinkem]

I have breed two separate Exhibition breeders lines last summer and got Buffs that have that look. And those are from Exhibition breeders. I wouldn't worry about it. Most all breeds have various genes that pop up and make some unique features in the birds. In this case I guess if you yanked that one feather out it will grow back Buff like the others. He is a nice size boy. Not too leggy, alot of hatchery's will introduce Rhode Island Reds to increase the egg production in their lines of Buffs. Not saying that is the case with your boy. To be honest he looks like a pure Buff. ,

 

[wordgirl]

Quote:
Thank you – he'd be very flattered.

He's quite good with his girls, but he gets a little protective around people.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
He DID lose his tail – pretty much all of it – last September (we think most likely a coyote or fox grabbed him), and now it's grown back in, so maybe the white is from that. But I think I remember him having some dark in his first tail – I'm not sure about the white.

Here are some Buffs that I bred last spring, they have exactly what yours have. They had some black, ( I call it smutt ) in their tails. And their all pure bred Buff Orps. Plus they ALL have grown out of those darker feathers since then.

 

[buddy#2]

I have an Orpington rooster just like him. He molted this past fall and a tail feather came out just like your rooster's. It could be as someone stated a recesive gene from breeding different kinds of chickens. I thought it was a little odd myself but I'm sure the rooster doesn't care.

 

[wordgirl]

Thanks for all your help. BTW - if anyone wants him...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=309568