Down Color

[Jean]

I just wanted to ask if white chicks come with different colors of down when they hatch.  I have hatched a few and I have gotten creamy yellow down, white down, a silvery gray down and some with a buff colored down.

Is this normal?  I know my chicks with the yellowish and silvery colored ones are white as they are almost fully feathered and I got them from a reputable breeder.

I am concerened about the buff colored ones though.  It seems as if the feathers are all coming in white on them.  Has any one else experienced this kind of color difference?

Jean

[bantamhill]

Most of mine are usually yellow to grey smokey, I would mark the ones with the buff and see what happens . . . could they be the smoke color John has shown at a few national meets??? Or champagne?

Michael

[John]

I am concerned about the buff colored ones though.

One thing I am doing differently this year is toe punching the LF buff chicks that have the proper down/pattern color to be keepers.  The others that hatch with black markings on their heads, dark legs, brown down, etc. are toe punched differently and will be sold as culls.
The breeding flock looks fine that these are coming from, but evidently some are not e^y/e^y according to the down on their chicks.  The point is that an adult bird that may look great and even be \"show quality\" may not be a good breeder.  I will raise up only the chicks with the proper buff down and leg color and use them as breeders next season.  The LF buffs are getting better every year, but still not perfected.  Once they are perfected we\'ll try to prefect them some more.  
I see the same problem with my silver bantams.  Most chicks are now hatching with the proper down color/patter for a silver, but some aren\'t.  I toe punch them also so that those that aren\'t true silver won\'t be used as breeders next year.  I have found that picking good breeders starts with day old chicks...I wish I had figured that out a couple decades ago.    

[Guest]

Some genes express in chick down: S, Db, Co to name a few. I frequent a forum, Classroom at the Coop: the-coop.org, where experienced breeders and genetic gurus from all over the world can often answer your questions and comment on photos. I believe it only makes you a better breeder to ask,ask,ask ...

[Jean]

John,

I found the bird on my first try that was throwing stripes in my buff pen.  I was talking about white variety down.  I am getting some different shades of buff though.

I will look at the coop to see if I can learn anything.

Michael, they could be champagne.  

Speaking of correct down color... I hatched a supposed wheaten/blue wheaten chick with stripes today

Jean

[John]

throwing stripes in my buff pen

I hatched a few of those again this year with the \"W\" pattern (or something similar) on their heads.  On the bright side, I am getting some LF buffs with proper down color.

white variety down

Study the photos of chicks on the website.  They should be like Michael said...a bit yellow/buff mixed with smoky gray.

wheaten/blue wheaten chick with stripes

They should have a single stripe on the top of their heads, but that is about all.  I tried to show that in the chick photos.

[Jean]

Here\'s that chick..... doesn\'t look right to me.

[Guest]

Just a guess here, but you may have dominant wheaton eWh and not the recessive ey. This can often co-express with e+(wildtype) which might give you something similar to your chick. It might also mask other e+s. You also have something modifying the width of the stripe.
Co (columbian) can modify buff (eWh)down color to more a golden color.

[Jean]

Well,

I looked at the chick closer today and it is totally feather legged and footed.  It has cochin blood from somewhere.....

Guess that one goes in the pet quality column.

Still learning hard knock lessons on buying \"ameraucanas\".

Jean

[John]

It has Cochin blood from somewhere.....

Was it something you hatched from your birds or hatching eggs you bought?  I\'m not looking to name names, but wonder what happened.  Inquiring minds want to know.