cream down linked to undercolor

[Guest]

Has anyone found that the more cream down (on E or ER) produces either/or:
1)better green sheen
2)lighter undercolor

[Mike Gilbert]

I don\'t breed blacks any more directly, though get some from my blue matings (bantams only).   I had always heard that the more yellow on the chick down, the better the black would be as an adult.   This info comes from Wyandotte breeders that I know.   I never heard anything said about a relationship between the chick down color and the under color on adults.    What have you heard, or what is your experience in this regard?

[Guest]

Well, I\'ve heard both but
1)I have a ER black (black breeding) from a breeder we call Mr. Green Genes. He IS green; really a great Roo. and catches everyones eye that thought black was black. All chicks, ER chicks with no cream/wht or E with it, have good green.
2) I have several blues which had E down with \"normal\"cream/wht down similar to the Blue BantamABC photo, which have light undercolor. These blues are more vibrant and have better lacing but I believe the undercolor is too light (shouldn\'t it be similar to the feather color?).
So, I guess I have not found these to be consistantly true. I have thought the increased cream/wht down might be an indication of melanotics; my chicks similar to the large fowl photo with lots of cream/wht seem to have better undercolor.

I was hoping perhaps someone else, who has raised more Ameraucanas than I, might have noticed a correlation; I do think that each breed has a distinct genetic package which would make these theories somewhat variable.
Are your blue chicks very similar to the photos (\"normal\" cream/wht down) and do they have dark or light undercolor?
Thank you so much for your advice (as I get better birds, it gets harder to judge from photos!)
Rose