Mottled buff bantam

[John]

I don't breed mottled varieties, but sometimes hidden recessive genes like this show up.  I'm quite sure that is what it is and have no idea when it was introduced into my strain.

[Mike Gilbert]

I can't seem to get the photos to enlarge.  Are the mottles actually white, or are they a lighter shade of buff?

[jerryse]

Just curious but are the legs mottled also?

[John]

Are the mottles actually white, or are they a lighter shade of buff?

They look white to me with a couple black ones in the tail.

Just curious but are the legs mottled also?

No, but I didn't take a close look at them.  I'll check her out again tomorrow.

[Mike Gilbert]

Were these buffs ever crossed with silvers by chance?

[John]

Were these buffs ever crossed with silvers by chance?

The only cross with silver that I know of was this year and I only kept one chick from it to breed with silvers.

[John]

Jerry,

I've take a couple photos to show the shanks.  The dark ones are from the pullet, above, but she has a brother with almost white/clear shanks (included in the 2nd photo for comparison) that has the same "mottled" look.

[jerryse]

Very interesting how mottling can affect leg color on 1 and not the other.Yet some colors like Millie Fleur have slate legs in the presence of mottling.

[Mike Gilbert]

John, Mary says she likes it.   She will pay big bucks for a pair of birds like that. 

[Mike Gilbert]

Very interesting how mottling can affect leg color on 1 and not the other.Yet some colors like Millie Fleur have slate legs in the presence of mottling.

There must be something other than mo affecting the dermis pigment in the male bird.  Perhaps the presence of Dilute or something similar.   We have seen this in buff birds without mottling, and also whites at one time.

[John]

She will pay big bucks for a pair of birds like that.

Big Bucks?  Wow, that sounds like a great trade...chickens for Red Deer!
If any club members want them, please let me know and you can pick them up at the Fowl Fest October.  Otherwise they won't be kept.

Are the shanks mottled too?  I generally don't study them closely, but the slate scales appear to have white tips.  Is this something that happens with mottled varieties?

[Max]

John,

I just noticed this guy a few days ago. He's a large fowl I got from you back in February...

[John]

It's kinda pretty...if you like that sort of thing, but I'll have to be stricter in selecting breeders.