The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Breeding

Shafting in silvers

<< < (5/7) > >>

John:

--- Quote ---It seems like adding black to reduce shafting would work against this need to add light to the top of the bird.
--- End quote ---

Don,
You are probably right.  I didn\'t cross blacks with silvers to reduce the shafting in the silvers though.  The cross was mostly to improve size and type.  Improved temperament, combs, etc. were wished for also.
The shafting in my LF silvers has improved since the cross and that may be why.  With every project like this unwanted characteristics come with the cross.  I try to make the cross that I think will have more pros than cons and there have been some improvement projects that were scraped after I saw the F1 generation.  

Don:
Jean,  Yes I am using the ABA silver description.  Should be the same as the APA silver dutch color.   I have not seen LF other than in pictures.  Actually have only seen a few bantams in this color.  Just appears that the black stripes go almost to the head from what I have seen.  

I guess I was thinking that the Ar was always in the background and this was why so many folks had trouble when they crossed different lines.  The cross disturbed the different melanizers.  Glad to know that there are lines that are clean of Ar to try to use.

So the birchen are solid black when hatched?  I would be interested in hearing how the cross with the whites carries thru.  

I have heard the old barn/paint adage many times.  From other posts, is it fair to say that color comes from the male, type and maybe size from the female?  I was hoping that the body was there on the bantams, now we can focus more on the color.      

grisaboy:

--- Quote from: Don ---
So the birchen are solid black when hatched?  I would be interested in hearing how the cross with the whites carries thru.      
--- End quote ---


Birchen checks are solid black as are brown red. Although brown red checks will sometimes have brown heads.
This is the best way to tell ErEr (birchen) from EE (black).
EE checks are black with white (or cream) bellies.

The White / Silver cross (Silver male over white hens) hatched out solid black. They are starting to get brown on their wings.  Hard to know what genes are under a white bird.


--- Quote from: Don ---
I have heard the old barn/paint adage many times.  From other posts, is it fair to say that color comes from the male, type and maybe size from the female?    
--- End quote ---


This is only partially true. Size and type are determined by both both males and females.
Sex linked colors (Silver and Gold) are somewhat determined by the males.  For example a Silver Birchen male over brown red females will give all Silver Birchen females. A Brown Red male over Birchen females will give all Brown Red Females. Both of these crosses will give yellowish birchen split males.
Other colors, like blue, will give you the same results regardless if the male or the female is blue.

Curtis

grisaboy:
Results of crossing silver male over white females;
I'm attaching three photos from this mating.
Birds ar a little rough because they have been pulling each others tails out in the grow out pen.
First photo is of the birchen cockerels, second is of birchen pullets.
These birds are about 10 weeks old.
Third is a shot showing 'stippling' in the wings on a younger bird.  I think this is because these birds are ER e+.  The ER is dominant but the stippling from the e+ is being expressed in the first plumage sets.  You can no longer see it in the older males but can see it a little in females.  I expect this will be all gone by the time the adult plumage grows in.

Curtis

grisaboy:
Results Silver X Birchen (from Silver X Black);
The birchen hens used in this mating are actually a couple of generations removed from the black cross. Each generation produces some birchens and some silvers.  The silver males from this mating are showing a little bit of red in the shoulders so they won't be kept. None of the birchen males will be kept. The birchen females will be compared to the other birchens and may or may not be used in next years matings.  The silver females are kind of dark but I am doing this cross for more than just color improvements.
Curtis

Curtis

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page