I have just posted a pic of a pekin chick I hatched (well, the incubator did most of the work but I got it out of the shell
).
Its mum is a straight buff, and dad is a black/cuckoo-bred cuckoo. I thought this chick was a cuckoo when it was still wet, as it seemed to have that cuckoo spotting on its head, however when it dried I could see that it actually has a real 'patch' of yellow feathers on the side of its head.
My husband named it 'Phantom' as it looks a bit like the 'Phantom of the Opera' mask.
The rest of the chicks from that mating seem to be black or cuckoo (hard to tell just yet as they're only 4 days old). I did think I might get some buff, but now assume that buff must be recessive to cuckoo? Is that right?
It will be interesting to see how Phantom turns out - whether the black/cuckoo feathers take over the yellow spot, or whether it keeps a buff patch there. Has anyone else had a chick hatch that has a clear patch of odd colour like this, not just on the belly or wings?
I will update this with a link to the photo when it's up.
Deb
