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Tri-coloured Wyandottes
For a while I have been trying to marshal my thoughts on the
patterns associated mottling whether the Mottling gene does more
than preventing colour in the tip of the feather with following a
melanin intense band and what is
actually involved in the millefleur pattern.
Millefleur Wyandotte cockerel
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| The current wisdom is
the mottled gene when homozygous stops the growing feather producing
pigment for a while, which causes the white tip. Then the
effect of the gene switches off and pigment is put in the feather
and because melanin can be formed faster black is laid down first,
in a particularly concentrated way which is why the initial band is
matt black and doesn't develop a green sheen. After the black
the feather colour is laid down in the normal way. The amount
of black is proportionate to the amount of black available to be
separated out from the colour of the feather. Hence buff birds
having no black between the feather body and the white mottle.
Millefleur Wyandotte pullet. |
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| In black mottled I'd agree. It also
appears to be the case in Speckled Sussex and Spangled Game . I have
assumed that the introduction of Ml produces the tricolour/mottled spangled
pattern. Wyandotte cockerel (note matt black band
between the green sheen of the spangled area and white mottle)
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| In my flock which is mainly Eb I get to
see a lot of variations of mottling. On a normal spangled (Pg,
Ml, Db) pattern the mottles form normally, get a matt band and the
feather follows up with a big teardrop black spot and then goldI. had always supposed millefleur to be
spangled plus mottled, but looking at mottled spangled it obviously
isn't. A young mottled spangled cockerel |
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| Many of the birds I breed that come closest to millefleur initially
look like barred or black tailed buffs (Db through some probably
have Co too) with no evidence of Ml. As they grow they develop little black teardrops which are quite unlike normal spangled.
A young millefleur type
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An intermediate hen showing real spangles |
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An intermediate presumed het for Ml and Co showing
her early barred pattern (but also some feathers that hint at lacing
indicating Co) gradually turning into slightly teardrop-shaped
spangles (bigger than just a black crescent around the mottle) with
age; would this happen without mottling? |
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I see a lot of mottled laced (reconstituted from the above flock)
and the mottle gene has little or no impact on the pattern it simply
overlays it. Unexpectedly a lot of feathers don't
develop matt black and the centre of the feather behind the white
tip comes in almost pure gold with no matt black band ; even though
it is a melanised bird.. It looks as if the effect of pattern
gene in this case is overriding the usual effect of mottling. Pg
organises the colour so effectively there is almost no melanin in
the gold area that separates out. A young mottled laced cockerel.
I was thinking this combination of pattern and colour was just
a pretty accident but I have discovered that it has been given
a name: Tolbunt or Jazz! |
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(These are very attractive but
not what i am aiming for so i sometimes have birds like this
for sale - if you are interested please phone me on 01403
268844 or email
. They are useful to introduce the mottle pattern into a flock of
gold or blue laced or buff Columbian.)
Side view.
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Breast markings
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 a strange looking mottled
with barred pattern.
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