AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

I get a few light coloured chicks each year. Some don't look to dis-simialr to those in the photo. I never have the trait until a introduced a male back in 1997. The trait did not show up the first two years but has since. I have 6 this year from 1 pullet.

Talking colour / feather quality not type.
The same mating will produce dark and light coloured chickens. In my first few matings getting this result, the darker chickens were some of my best with colour (black) in all the right places. However the lighter colour chicks developed into birds with way too much black. So instead of being red with black markings, they carried almost black smut in under colour, too much black in wing markings, black lacing in shoulders and breast, but gee did they have great feather with green sheen to die for.

Now consider the colour of chickens in some of the game breeds - Indian Game (Dark) - White or light stripped, OEG bantam BlackRed / Wheaten Light Leg - White or light stripped. Now the Indian game develop into dark coloured birds, the females have lacing, the OEG and Indian males are dark.

If the Barnies follow the same trend, as my reds I suggest that the lighter chicks will be the darkest adult birds when finished developing - noting they may carry too much black. The lacing will not be as defined. But they will have a good green sheen.

My oldest chickens this years are about 8 weeks old. The 2 light coloured chicks (1 boy - 1 girl) both are very different to the others. In their chick wing feathers they have peppery marking and some black in the shoulder feathers. Not old enough to see smut in the back feathers yet. I think they will be colour culls once they develop. Basically at about 16 weeks I will know if they will be too dark.

Compared to the wing feathers of the "darker" red chicks, these some have some little black markings in flight feathers while most have almost the correct markings in both primary and secondary feathers. This is a trait I like and generally means these will have "standard" marking once they develop their adult feathers.

I hope this helps, keep an eye on how they develop. I would be interested to know if they follow a similar way my Reds do.

If any one has a line that is lacking "black" lacing or markings, one of these birds may be the answer. Basically they carry too much black in their genes.

Rhode Red