Ameraucana Breeders Club

The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Ameraucana Marketplace => Topic started by: dak on April 18, 2011, 01:30:42 PM

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: dak on April 18, 2011, 01:30:42 PM

Can one of our genetic gurus (Mike, John)  tell me what causes a gypsy face.  I don\'t have one, but I have seen pics.  

Also, if someone has this pop-up in their line regularly, I might be interested in obtaining one of these birds for a \"project\" (hide).

I apologize if this has been covered, but I didn\'t find anything on a search.

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: greeneggsandham on April 18, 2011, 02:01:23 PM

I\'m curious.  What\'s a gypsy face?  Could someone post a pic?

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: John on April 18, 2011, 05:26:50 PM

Quote

What\'s a gypsy face?

Ya, I\'ll bite.  Got photos?

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: Mike Gilbert on April 18, 2011, 07:41:11 PM

Gypsy face has a dark, purplish color to it instead of red or pale.   It is genetic.  

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: John on April 18, 2011, 09:30:54 PM

http://books.google.com/books?id=VMSF7m2CFTEC&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155&dq=gypsy+face+gene&source=bl&ots=9dIQI9qleD&sig=E1PFJb7vhIi95pT5Hd-0jYcB2ag&hl=en&ei=XuSsTffiJsS60QHtzpyxCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gypsy%20face%20gene&f=false

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: grisaboy on April 18, 2011, 11:07:31 PM

Brown red and Birchen Modern Game are supposed to have a gypsy or mulberry colored face.  So are Sumatras. Silkies have black skin.
Some strains of South American (pre Araucana / Ameracauna) chickens have gypsy faces some even have black skin.  It might pop in Ameraucanas if breeders have been crossing back to Easter Eggers especially if they are using strains that go back to the early 1920 South American imports. There also some more recent South American imports that I have read about that have dark skinned birds.

Curtis

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: greeneggsandham on April 19, 2011, 01:18:00 AM

So that\'s what was wrong with my hen!  I had a black LF with a very small, dark purplish comb and nostrils.  I thought it very odd.  I gave her away.

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: Mike Gilbert on April 19, 2011, 09:22:28 AM

Good move.   Ameraucanas with gypsy faces should be culled, or at least not used as breeders.  John, thanks for the link.   It sounds like there is a dominant modifier that only works in the presence of E or ER.  That would have been my guess based on past experience, but never had that confirmed in writing.

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: John on April 19, 2011, 11:10:18 AM

I remember dealing with what we called \"mulberry\" years ago, in LF blacks, but the \"gypsy face\" term is a new one on me.
Ignorance is bliss.  
 

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: dak on April 19, 2011, 12:49:03 PM

Thank you for the link.  I saw a picture of a blue hen on BYC a few months back with the \"mulberry\" coloring.

Title: Gypsy face
Post by: eliz on April 19, 2011, 01:04:38 PM

would this be the same skin coloration common in silkies? My pet partridge silkie has that deep mulberry skin coloration. eliz