Damascene Cock paired to Lahore Lavender Hen

 

This pairing I tried during 2011 season. The 2 chicks produced were

both much darker than the parents and well on the way to proving Darwin's theories. Both chicks have grouse and slippered feathered  feet which is a partial dominant trait but not the full muffs of the Lahore  which is recessive.

The heads and beaks  on both birds and  are as short and round as the Damascene cock which is a surprise as I would have expected maybe an intermediate beak as in 'breeding example 1' page.

 

The colour of offspring 'A' is very dark and in the nest I was convinced it was a self black, passed on from the single dominant  spread factor  Lahore hen. However as the  chick feathered up I could see the bar on the wing shield and terminal tail bar. This could have two explanations as the Damascenes have very dark skin and genetic 'dirty' factor it is said this, coupled with the ice factor, makes the ice colour much stronger in this breed, the other explanation would be the lavender which  has self black under her colour. The best blacks have several darkening modifiers. At the time of writing, late August 2011, this bird has  lighter under body feathers and the overall colour is more slatey.

 

Offspring 'B'  shows chequer pattern. This has come from the Lahore hen and is dominant to bar pattern of the Damascene cock, one interesting feature is the central tail feathers are white and this I think is from the dominant tail white of the Lahore which is a variable dominant as to the numbers of white feathers produced.

 

The eyes on both chicks are orangey red as the Damascene and I notice the eyesign, on  both birds, closest to the pupil is very similar to the Damascene.

 

Tameness of the chicks is not apparent, tameness we saw in breeding example 2 with this Damascene cock,  with them being very flighty, this has come from the Lahore hen who is not the tamest of birds.  

     

 Although only two chicks produced from this pairing The fact that we had both a chequer and bar phenotype proves the lavender hen is only single factor dominant Spread and also auto -somal Chequer and bar ,whilst as seen the damascene is Auto- somal bar and bar,although in theory he could still be bar and barless