Unexpected color on chick

[Worm94]

Hello I am new here and I have a question that I haven't been able to figure out the answer to (and it might be a simple answer, but I'm also new to having my own birds). I've attached pics, I hope I've done it right, of the birds in question, though the newest one is still in the incubator and so that picture might not be the best. Anyway!
My boy there is some kind of Araucana/EE mutt, I do not know what he is but the picture of the two chicks together is him and his brother as babies. He had that really cute dark chipmunk pattern there and as an adult he's black and red and I Think but I'm not sure that he's got gold instead of silver going on? Anyway his feet are slate (or blueish? I'm not sure how to word it, and the hen's feet are yellow with a bluish overlay).
The barred hen is a cuckoo maran, I'm pretty sure, though she's got some gold around her neck there and her sisters have a bit more.
The thing is, from the little I know, I thought that if a non-barred rooster was paired with a barred hen, that the babies would be sex linked with the hens being solid and the roosters having that spot on their heads.
But the baby there is white! I need to get better pictures of him, but the reason I know who his parents are is because only the boy there (Monkey) had that chipmunk pattern as a baby and I know all the hens by their eggs so I know who laid the egg he came out of.
And he isn't entirely white either, because of the chipmunk pattern. Right now I can't tell if it's dark brown striping or black but either way I didn't expect him to look like he does.
I'm so sorry for the wall of text explanation of everything but I was wondering if you guys had any ideas about why he looks like that! And maybe even what color he might grow up to be? Because he also has pink feet and I was reading somewhere about shank color and how it can be connected to sexing but I'm still not totally sure I understand. Thank you for reading if you got this far!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I was wondering if you guys had any ideas about why he looks like that!

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Your rooster, I can't make him out and (you know) he's not pure.. but wheaten chicks hatch out blondish and males turn dark later like he is (salmon faverolles also might be a good example of hatching a different color) while females stay the more buffish pattern.. but if they aren't dark at hatch normally then they may not sex link so easily.. as expected.. This is of course only one possibility that I can come up with.. but your rooster's still got a light head even now..

I don't know if it's possible or not but I *think* so that a genetically black barred bird could be hiding another color pattern underneath..

The barring may still be present just not visible at hatch until more of the pattern comes and may still depend on sex linkage (or gender of juvenile)..

Please note I'm an armature enthusiast regarding genetics and enjoying the journey (to nowhere). I look forward to seeing other (hopefully more knowledgeable) replies!

Thanks for sharing your adventure!

 

[KKicons]

I hadn't considered wheaten but I do know he did kinda look like a salmon faverolle, even though I'm pretty sure he isn't one (Note: I could be wrong, he might be mixed with faverolle? He came out of a green egg though)! Here's a couple of pics that better show him off (he is my favorite boy, these pics r from last fall actually because it's so dreary right now I struggle to take good pics). If the barring comes in later and that baby chicken is wheaten that would be a super pretty bird I think.
Also something I totally forgot to mention above: at hatch, Monkey had pink feet and a pink beak, just like this chicken and the dark feet came in later too.

I'm also a total newbie when it comes to this kinda thing but it is fun so far!! and thank you for your thoughts, all this just makes me more excited for the future of hatches (and I do wonder if the hen carries other genes that are just ovrshadowed by the barring too!)

This one looks like it has a lot of americauna. EEs can really have surprising colors. I had a speckled silver and black one from the feed store before. Blue black splash genetics can also create a surprise splash bird (such as from 2 blue ones, which sometimes look more black.) that splash can then be used to create more blue birbs.

 

[HorseDad]

Here's a better picture of the 3wk old (assumed) Cockerel. Also hi I'm worm's roommate.

 

[NatJ]

Here's a better picture of the 3wk old (assumed) Cockerel. Also hi I'm worm's roommate.
View attachment 3792615

Hello

That's a nice closeup to show the patterning in the feathers
It will be a good reference as the chick grows, and we try to make sense of what is going on here!

 

[NatJ]

View attachment 3812616
This one above is the one I assisted the hatch for, that had the dark striping on a yellow background initially.

I do not see barring in that picture.

View attachment 3812612
This one is the oldest pullet, and her wings are super beautiful. I do wonder which rooster's her father because so far I haven't seen another chick like her yet.

Of course she would not be barred, since she is a pullet, but those definitely are some interesting feathers.

View attachment 3812615

This one's colors seem patchier and because they're lighter the camera struggles to pick them up, but I definitely don't see barring.

I'm a little bit unsure on this one. Barring on gold can seem like it fades in and out, rather than being crisp lines, and I feel like I can "almost" see some lighter areas running across the feathers there. I won't say it is barred, but I also won't swear it is not barred.

 

[NatJ]

View attachment 3819912

It remains very difficult to take a good picture of this chick. I'm reasonably certain he's a boy now, though. The comb is darkening a lot, and he's acting bossier.
I am still uncertain if that messy pattern on him will turn into barring or not. Some of his feathers have red tips, some have little reddish lines across them but not the way I'd expect from barring, and so on. He looks vaguely barred from a distance, though, so mayb that's something?

I think he probably does have barring, but I'm not positive. I'll tag someone who has more experience than I do at recognizing barring on colors other than black.

@MysteryChicken do you think this chick has barring? (If the picture doesn't work right: it's the first photo in the post I quoted from.)

 

[MysteryChicken]

I think he probably does have barring, but I'm not positive. I'll tag someone who has more experience than I do at recognizing barring on colors other than black.

@MysteryChicken do you think this chick has barring? (If the picture doesn't work right: it's the first photo in the post I quoted from.)

It's Barred, just faintly.

 

[Worm94]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Your rooster, I can't make him out and (you know) he's not pure.. but wheaten chicks hatch out blondish and males turn dark later like he is (salmon faverolles also might be a good example of hatching a different color) while females stay the more buffish pattern.. but if they aren't dark at hatch normally then they may not sex link so easily.. as expected.. This is of course only one possibility that I can come up with.. but your rooster's still got a light head even now..

I don't know if it's possible or not but I *think* so that a genetically black barred bird could be hiding another color pattern underneath..

The barring may still be present just not visible at hatch until more of the pattern comes and may still depend on sex linkage (or gender of juvenile)..

Please note I'm an armature enthusiast regarding genetics and enjoying the journey (to nowhere). I look forward to seeing other (hopefully more knowledgeable) replies!

Thanks for sharing your adventure!

I hadn't considered wheaten but I do know he did kinda look like a salmon faverolle, even though I'm pretty sure he isn't one (Note: I could be wrong, he might be mixed with faverolle? He came out of a green egg though)! Here's a couple of pics that better show him off (he is my favorite boy, these pics r from last fall actually because it's so dreary right now I struggle to take good pics). If the barring comes in later and that baby chicken is wheaten that would be a super pretty bird I think.
Also something I totally forgot to mention above: at hatch, Monkey had pink feet and a pink beak, just like this chicken and the dark feet came in later too.

I'm also a total newbie when it comes to this kinda thing but it is fun so far!! and thank you for your thoughts, all this just makes me more excited for the future of hatches (and I do wonder if the hen carries other genes that are just ovrshadowed by the barring too!)

 

[KKicons]

I hadn't considered wheaten but I do know he did kinda look like a salmon faverolle, even though I'm pretty sure he isn't one (Note: I could be wrong, he might be mixed with faverolle? He came out of a green egg though)! Here's a couple of pics that better show him off (he is my favorite boy, these pics r from last fall actually because it's so dreary right now I struggle to take good pics). If the barring comes in later and that baby chicken is wheaten that would be a super pretty bird I think.
Also something I totally forgot to mention above: at hatch, Monkey had pink feet and a pink beak, just like this chicken and the dark feet came in later too.

I'm also a total newbie when it comes to this kinda thing but it is fun so far!! and thank you for your thoughts, all this just makes me more excited for the future of hatches (and I do wonder if the hen carries other genes that are just ovrshadowed by the barring too!)

He really looks like an americauna to me, but is that the one that came from a green egg rather than a blue egg? I found out favacana is a thing, so of course I also hope I have that thing. But the farm that some of mine came from has those breeds so here's hoping. If you look them up it's the chick that never loses its cuteness and floofiness. (At least to this owner who loves them.) It's been a while since I took these so I'll have to take some updated ones.
The one in question is in the middle.
Also from an unknown egg but I know the farm has lots of speckled eggs, blue eggs, and salmon falvarolles.