Are You My Mother?

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Ew ew! I think I know this one! The hen I originally thought was his mama was this one pictured here, and I learned from someone on this forum (quite possibly yourself) that the silver streaks on her neck are silver leakage. So it seems that my original assessment was most likely correct, and this blue hen is most likely the mother.

She is the mother. A red/gold rooster crossed with a red/gold hen can’t produce chicks with the silver gene, and Charcoal definitely has the silver gene.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

She is the mother. A red/gold rooster crossed with a red/gold hen can’t produce chicks with the silver gene, and Charcoal definitely has the silver gene.

Is it the blonde specks on his chest that you’re calling silver? Or the blonde streaks on his neck? Or something else?

When I think of “silver” I tend to think white, like a SLW, so I’m a little unclear how everyone knows he’s got silver.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Is it the blonde specks on his chest that you’re calling silver? Or the blonde streaks on his neck? Or something else?

When I think of “silver” I tend to think white, like a SLW, so I’m a little unclear how everyone knows he’s got silver.

He has off-white feathers on his chest, which indicate that he has one copy of the silver gene. White leakage on a black chicken is always because of silver (though there are also white patterns such as barring and mottling). The fact that he also has blond/yellowish feathers indicate that he’s a silver/gold split, meaning he has both the silver and gold gene. That light blond color is a result of the gold being sort of “covered” by silver.

 

[BastyPutt]

Dad was a Red Orpington. I assumed his mom was my blue hen,

Id be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed when I scrolled down and didn't see a purple chicken.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

He has off-white feathers on his chest, which indicate that he has one copy of the silver gene. White leakage on a black chicken is always because of silver (though there are also white patterns such as barring and mottling). The fact that he also has blond/yellowish feathers indicate that he’s a silver/gold split, meaning he has both the silver and gold gene. That light blond color is a result of the gold being sort of “covered” by silver.

That’s very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing.