Chick fluff/down color in Lavenders and Lav splits (Blacks)

[mustangsaguaro]

I have some questions regarding chick down and what to look for in lavender and the lavender splits (black) in regards to their down/fluff color in what to keep for myself and what either to cull or sell to those just wanting a bird for egg laying purposes.  So far this year I haven’t hatched many chicks and what has hatched out I have only really found 2 Lavs that are acceptable in my book and 1, maybe 2 black splits. For the black chicks I am looking for chick down that is uniformly black throughout the whole chick. Any chick that has an underbelly that has yellow fluff or any yellow on the wing tips I am not planning to keep. As for the lavender any chick that the fluff looks to dark I’m not keeping. I am also looking for more of the silvery/lavender color rather than a chick that might have a lot of yellow fluff. Am I looking at this chick down/fluff incorrectly? If I am please educate me. Would anyone care to share some pics of chicks that’s got way more experience than I as to what you would cull or sell for in the lav splits and the lavs and what kind of chick you would keep until it gets older? I’m trying to keep the best chicks possible for myself. And so far like I said from what I’ve hatched this year I’ve only really seen a total of 4 that are worthy of keeping in my book for now. Of course that could change as they get older. I’m also looking at chicks that are big and robust as well as good muffs vs. little muffs and little chicks.

Another thing I have observed is that I have one pen that has just a male and female in it and both of those birds are black splits. So far it appears no lavender chicks have hatched from this pair.  I know for a fact these 2 birds are not pure blacks. They are both splits. And they have produced more black splits and no lav chicks from what I can tell so far. Then I have another pen w/ a Lav roo over 3 lav hens and a black split hen. The lav roo over the black split hen has also been producing only black splits. Has anyone else observed this w/ their black splits of only producing more black splits and no lavs?

[Jean]

I think if you continue to use the chicks that look like they have birchen down color you are going to end up with leakage in your lavenders.

Extended black chicks have white underbellies, chicks that are birchen or carrying birchen are generally all black.

If you go to the kip calculator and use a bird that is half extended black and half birchen E/E^R and cross them you get birds with leakage.

On the lavender chicks, I think it is ok to use the lighter birds, but remember to build the house before you paint it.  You could possibly be getting rid of some nice birds that are just off a bit in the color department.

On the split lav chicks popping up, it's that the odds are against you at this time. 

[Mike Gilbert]

I think you would have better luck if you keep the Australian marsupials out of the breeding pen.   

[mustangsaguaro]

I think if you continue to use the chicks that look like they have birchen down color you are going to end up with leakage in your lavenders.

Extended black chicks have white underbellies, chicks that are birchen or carrying birchen are generally all black.

If you go to the kip calculator and use a bird that is half extended black and half birchen E/E^R and cross them you get birds with leakage.

I was not aware that all black chicks carry the birchen gene while the ones w/ white underbellies are extended blacks. With that said what should I be shooting for chick/fluff down wise in any black split chicks that do hatch?

I know I definately do not want the leakage in the black splits. I got rid of one of those last year. I have 2 blacks that just hatched the other day. When I get home I will post pics of those 2. Still kind of learning what to look for in chicks fluff/down in regards of what to keep and what not to.

[Jean]

I wouldn't guarantee 100% that an all black chick is carrying birchen, but I wouldn't bet against it either.  I would stick with the extended black looking chicks for the lavender variety.

[mustangsaguaro]

I wouldn't guarantee 100% that an all black chick is carrying birchen, but I wouldn't bet against it either.  I would stick with the extended black looking chicks for the lavender variety.

Just so I understand the extended blacks being the ones that have the more white/yellow underbellies, correct.

[Mike Gilbert]

There are no guarantees.   Some of my best colored brown red Ameraucana bantams looked like little penquins when they were chicks.   Others are all black with maybe just a tiny bit of yellowish on the abdomen - and a few that are intermediate.   I have come to believe there are unknown modifying genes affecting chick down color (in some cases) that do not affect the adult plumage pattern much if at all.   But if you want to play the odds, yes, it is more likely penquin colored chicks are E/E and all-black chicks are ER/ER.   My large fowl brown red chicks are always all black, sometimes with a bit of reddish color in the face, but they do not breed as consistently for color as do the bantams.  I even get the occasional all-black pullet with out a trace of brown red coloring.