Buff Bantams in CA

[Zach_Rose]

This is a picture of a pullet from Patty. I purchased a couple from her in May. These five youngsters have black of varying degrees in different areas (tail and primary coverts) this pullet just has little speckes on the bottom tail feathers and on a couple wing coverts. I've notices on the buffs I have that they don't have the greatest width of feather, especially in the tail feathers. Does anyone else have this problem? I'm thinking that if all the birds of this line have these black speckles should I breed them to my birds from John that don't? I've heard that some lines of buff have slightly different genetic formulas and mixing two lines can throw some strange stuff. I've also noticed this when crossing two lines of other breeds. Trying to figure some things out so I can try to improve some of these faults.

Zach

[Mike Gilbert]

Zach, with all due respect, I would cull those and start over.    I gave my neighbor and friend Bob Walchak a trio to breed from last fall, and he was able to raise some pretty fair buff bantams from them.   I raised three from eggs he gave back to me, and have one pullet entered at the APA National in Lucasville.   I'll try to get a photo and post it here.     Bob intends to enter some for the National Meet at Sedalia.

[John]

Some of us have out-crossed buffs with wheatens in recent years and I assume that is where the black came from.  It takes a few generations to get back to pure buff and my hope was that the wheatens would add vitality.
I have some that are 1/4 wheaten (maybe 1/8???) and some show a little black in their feathers.  I'm saving a few pullets with peppering or with a small black spots in their tails to breed from next year.  They will be in a separate breeding coop from the pure buff females.   
The cockerel in the background has a lot of black and would not use him if you have better.  The pullet to the right, with the black spot on her tail, has lighter shanks then the others that I can see.  If you use her I would suggest a male with no black what so ever and dark slate shanks...if you have one.  Compensation mating is always in the back of my mind.
I plan to bring a couple/few bantam buffs to the show also.

[Zach_Rose]

Took a young trio of buffs to the first show this season and got many complements. The judge did not place them over the Cornish, but that wasn't my intention. I got compliments from people that have been breeding since the early 60's and by the other judges. Looking forward to the rest of the show season. I unfortunately found an egg in the pen( it's the first from them) it was small by comparison of what my hen lays and was sadly white. Ill have to find the culprit and cull 1 of my four females.

[John]

was sadly white

Give it a 2nd chance.  I don't think one egg that looks white is enough of a reason to cull her.