Gypsy face

[dak]

Can one of our genetic gurus (Mike, John)  tell me what causes a gypsy face.  I don\'t have one, but I have seen pics.  

Also, if someone has this pop-up in their line regularly, I might be interested in obtaining one of these birds for a \"project\" (hide).

I apologize if this has been covered, but I didn\'t find anything on a search.

[greeneggsandham]

I\'m curious.  What\'s a gypsy face?  Could someone post a pic?

[John]

What\'s a gypsy face?

Ya, I\'ll bite.  Got photos?

[Mike Gilbert]

Gypsy face has a dark, purplish color to it instead of red or pale.   It is genetic.  

[John]

http://books.google.com/books?id=VMSF7m2CFTEC&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155&dq=gypsy+face+gene&source=bl&ots=9dIQI9qleD&sig=E1PFJb7vhIi95pT5Hd-0jYcB2ag&hl=en&ei=XuSsTffiJsS60QHtzpyxCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gypsy%20face%20gene&f=false

[grisaboy]

Brown red and Birchen Modern Game are supposed to have a gypsy or mulberry colored face.  So are Sumatras. Silkies have black skin.
Some strains of South American (pre Araucana / Ameracauna) chickens have gypsy faces some even have black skin.  It might pop in Ameraucanas if breeders have been crossing back to Easter Eggers especially if they are using strains that go back to the early 1920 South American imports. There also some more recent South American imports that I have read about that have dark skinned birds.

Curtis

[greeneggsandham]

So that\'s what was wrong with my hen!  I had a black LF with a very small, dark purplish comb and nostrils.  I thought it very odd.  I gave her away.

[Mike Gilbert]

Good move.   Ameraucanas with gypsy faces should be culled, or at least not used as breeders.  John, thanks for the link.   It sounds like there is a dominant modifier that only works in the presence of E or ER.  That would have been my guess based on past experience, but never had that confirmed in writing.

[John]

I remember dealing with what we called \"mulberry\" years ago, in LF blacks, but the \"gypsy face\" term is a new one on me.
Ignorance is bliss.  
 

[dak]

Thank you for the link.  I saw a picture of a blue hen on BYC a few months back with the \"mulberry\" coloring.

[eliz]

would this be the same skin coloration common in silkies? My pet partridge silkie has that deep mulberry skin coloration. eliz