Colour genetics

[chickenfan]

I've been looking for brown sussex bantams for over a year to go with my cockerel. Someone has suggested I could put red sussex with him and choose the brownest offspring. Does this sound likely to work? They seem to have black necks, whereas the brown sussex is similar to the welsummer with a gold neck. Perhaps welsummer bantams might be a better option?

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Well I don't think crossing a red Sussex will work as a)red bantams are very hard to find indeed and b)the colouring and patterning is very different as you have already identiepfied. It's not just the neck hackles, it's also that the red should have grey under fluff and I think the brown is different, plus the red has the odd black flight feather which I doubt you find in the brown, added to which the red tends to throw black peppering on some feathers which shouldn't be there and you wouldn't want it in the brown. I think the thing to do is to get in touch with the Sussex club, as brown bantams are so hard to find to save yourself time. Good luck, it's nice to hear of someone trying to breed more stock of the fast dwindling colours of some pure breeds

 

[chickenfan]

Thank you very much for your advice Mrs Biscuit. Unfortunately I haven't found the breed club helpful even though I've been a member for 2 years. They seem to be about showing and maintaining exclusivity rather than promoting the breed. I wonder about mixing with Welsummer bantams.

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Well it's up to you, but another reason I wouldn't go there is that Welsummers have yellow legs, I am presuming the brown Sussex have white legs like the rest of the colours.

It's a shame the Sussex Club aren't being helpful, but I would try one last time. I would find out who exhibited over say the last 5 years at the National and Federation shows, and contact them directly. If the Club won't share the contact details, which they shouldn't, then send them Club an email and ask them to forward it, explaining how hard it is for you to find a breeder to help you maintain a rare breed. Is there a Facebook page for Sussex breeders, or Twitter feed.