Lavender (Isabelle) Wheaten Project

[Guest]

Wow I can\'t believe It\'s been almost 2 years since I have started this breeding project.  I\'ve had my ups, downs and my ooopses but I am finally starting to get somewhere.  I am currently hatching F2\'s, waiting for the elusive lavender (isabelle) wheaten.  There is only a 6% chance of one hatching so I will be hatching for pretty much the rest of the year with my 24 egg incubator.  Here are two chicks that just hatched the other day.

Lavender Split Wheaten

Lavender Split Wheaten and Split Lavender Wheaten


The Lavender Split Wheaten will feather out just like his father but the black will be replaced with lavender.  The only visual difference between the adult Lavender Split Wheaten and the Lavender Wheaten is the tan triangle at the end of the wing.  
For those of you intersted in all the project details down to the genetics and more pics you can access the info here

So what do you think?

[John]

I remember talking about developing a lavender wheaten on this forum a few years back, but because the gene would also dilute the wheaten\'s red to isabel gave up the idea.  Is that your goal...a wheaten with lavender were it is normally black and isabel were it is red/orange?
Is it an accepted variety in any breed?
Congratulations on the project so far.  It looks like you\'ve done the homework and are sticking with it.

[Guest]

There are no recognized Isabelle varieties recognized yet but I know the silkie breeders are breeding them and are more advanced in their projects than I am.  Yes I am sticking with it, that\'s why I ordered the wheaties and lavs from you for the next phase of the project.  Yes the lavender gene should dilute the red/orange in the males.  The females should be a cream.  Here is a link of an English Araucana Hen with the lavender wheaten coloration.   Her wing up close .  This a picture of an English roo (I think Harry posted it many years ago)but the coloration of the photo is waaayyy off.  I should have a much better photo of a roo in a few months...as long as nothing doesn\'t happen to this little chick.  Knock on wood.

[John]

Oh...now I get it.  Chicken Stalker is Karen.  I noticed your email address said \"Roby\".  Last night I read an old topic we had on this and checked out the link Harry posted.  It\'s all coming back to me now.  

[Guest]

yes just updated my profile to reflect my farm email and my name in the sig line.

Just love the coloration in the English varieties, wanted to to replicate it here.....maybe some day get it recognized....but that is a looooonnnggg way off.  Lavenders first!

[Mike Gilbert]

Are you sure the hen is lavender wheaten?  It seems to me she should be wheaten colored with just lavender in the tail and wings instead of all over the body.   This one may be based on extended black instead of wheaten, with just some \"gold\"  leakage?  My guess would be she is split E/eWh.
To my untrained eye she just looks like a \"soiled\"  lavender.

[Guest]

The english hen??  I myself have not hatched out a 100% Lavender wheaten yet.  So far the statistics are holding tru in my hatches.  I get mostly visually blacks, and few wheaten and lavenders.  Just need to get lucky on the lav wheaten lotto.  The chick above is a lavender split wheaten, meaning it is missing one wheaten gene.  I have notice the when you get a split wheaten roo, the wheaten coloration is still expressed except for the tan triangle on the roosters wing and there is some \"lacing?\" in the chest area.  The split wheaten hens look nothing like a wheaten.  Once I hatch a 100% lavender wheaten I will put it over wheatens to create wheaten split lavenders.  Once that phase is complete they will breed like any other lavender bird except they will be EwhEwh not EE.

[Mike Gilbert]

Yes, I was referring to the English hen.  I would not call her any kind of wheaten.

[John]

I have notice the when you get a split wheaten roo, the wheaten coloration is still expressed except for the tan triangle on the roosters wing and there is some \"lacing?\" in the chest area.

Something to consider...that sounds like a brown red, Birchen (ER) based bird.  Is it possible the lavender you started with is ER, rather than E?  If so the description would match what I would expect from a ER/e^wh.
Remember, if someone with ER based blacks crosses them with E based lavenders they may produce ER/ER lavenders which would have a tendency to allow more silver/gold show.

[Guest]

Ok, well anyway, the coloration I am looking for is cream and lavender.  Lavender where the black tips would be obviously.  I am two years into this project and not about to give up.  I have bought from reputable lines (Jean, Harry and John) and spent countless hours researching.  I started recorded keeping after my first ooooppps...darn sneaky ee roo, which is no longer here.  I only have ameraucanas and marans now. Everything is coming out exactly like the genetics calculators and all my research has stated.
Most of this has been discussed here when another member was trying to create a lavender wheaten.  I believe she gave up here flock for personal reasons.  
The rooster came from Jean.  Had him over nighted a couple years ago.  I am pretty sure he is 100% pure for EE.  

So I will keep up my efforts and I will keep you all posted with pictures.  I am 100% positive I am going in the right direction with the correct genes.  Like any project the finer details will be improved upon over the generations.  Even the lavenders and wheatens are still being improved.  By the way, John, I gave those two lavenders away.

[John]

Karen,

I don\'t doubt the birds you bought were good quality and from reputable breeders.  Many lines of blacks are not pure for E and some birds carry ER (I believe).  I think Jean will agree that her blacks are ER based and that may also be true for her blues and lavenders.  Breeders like Paul, Jerry and Anne all breed quality LF blacks also, but I beleive thier flocks are based on E.
These are all good birds, but they may be built from different foundations and it is something to consider.  

[Guest]

Yes I will watch for the hidden genes.  The toughest, most time consuming part of this project was just introducing lavender to the EwhEwh....I\'ve culled about 95% of what has hatched.  Once it is in the line 100% then I will cross them with wheaties again (your line) to make split lavender wheaties....they will look like wheaties but be carrying one copy of the lav gene.  From that point it will be the same as breeding Black, Split Lavs and Lavs.  Then improve, improve, improve.....

[Guest]

Just popping on to give everyone a quick project update.  After 2 years on this project I hatched my first lavender wheaten in May.  He is feathering out nicely and I can\'t wait to move onto phase two of my project.  He is very light, hope you can see the lav in the pictures.



The pictures were taken last week and since then his neck feathers are coming in creamy gold/tan color and his legs are darkening.

[Guest]

WOW! Congratulations.

[Guest]

Update on the lavender wheaten ameraucana project.  Here is my official 8 wk old lw roo.  He is feathering out nicely. I\'m sure he will have his faults as any project does but I look forward to developing this line into something outstanding.   Sorry no eggs or Chicks available.