Leghorn genetics question

[Riven]

As I watched my favorite chick grow this year I never suspected... not once. Yes.. she was different from the others, barred rocks, reds, leg horns, and black sexlinks... pretty soon her head turned white, against her black it was beautiful, then the mottling came in... the white on the wings... all came together beautifully. Then the tail... irridesent greens against black, but then the tail.. kept growing longer.. and starting to "fall", I never suspected, someone said it might be a pheonix hen, so I researched and came across quite by accident a picture of a silver leghorn roo... low and behold my favorite little pullet was right there on my screen. No, it couldn't be. Not a mis-sexed chick from the hatchery, that could never happen...

But alas I've come to accept it, now the questions for all of you who know about these things. What are the genetics for silver leghorns? Brown? If I cross a brown hen with a silver roo what will I get? Do I need to find silver hens to match my beloved "pullet"? In a pen of otherwise brown egg layers the leghorn eggs should be easy to spot to pull for the incubator.

Any suggestions or knowledge to help bring a light to the end of my tunnel?

Thanks!

 

[Chris09]

Is it a Light Brown or a Dark Brown Leghorn Hen? ( There is 2 Brown colors in the Leghorn breed). A picture of the Hen and Rooster will help also...

Chris

 

[Krys109uk]

A photo would help. If she/he is a silver duckwing leghorn, (which I gather are a tad rare in US) more silver duckwings can be made using (light) brown leghorns.
First cross would give silver pullets, thought they'd probably also carry autosomal red. It would be easiest to discard the males.
Breed the pullets back to the original male. The offspring of that mating would all be silver though some would also be carrying autosomal red. When this is present it can show as brassiness (I think that's the term) in the hackles & in the saddle hackles of males plus chestnut in the male's shoulders. You could probably select against this by eye.

 

[Riven]

So I talked to a guy who knows more than me and it looks like he is a mottled silver leghorn? He actually looks more laced than mottled to me.

Also upon closer inspection I have one hen, not two! The other was a sexlink that was tricking me, but when I looked she had a bit different pattern and dark legs. She is pretty mad at me, they usually follow me around, and it's hard to get a picture of something that's following you!

These are both mid spring hatches, if that makes a difference, I know the roo's color has changed a TON since a chick!

Thanks for any and all information!

 

[amazondoc]

IMHO, that top bird isn't a leghorn. Interesting feathers, though. Where did it come from?

The bottom bird is a light brown leghorn pullet, IMHO.

 

[Mourningdove]

The bottom pic is definetly a light brown leghorn pullet!
As far as the rooster gos, on the Ideal Poultry website they also have what is called Exchequer Leghorns, check it out and see if this is
a chance this is what you have.

 

[Krys109uk]

He does look laced. I'm used to different Leghorn standards.....he doesn't look like a bird I could recognise as a leghorn.

 

[amazondoc]

It's not an exchequer.

I've got leghorns in exchequer, mille fleur, white, and buff. IMHO that top bird isn't even shaped quite right to be a leghorn.

OTOH -- I've been wrong many times before in my life, and I will be wrong many times more before I die.

 

[Krys109uk]

He's not exchequer pattern.

 

[OSUman]

It looks like the top one has red earlobes.