help with genetics

[colorin]

I'd rather wait, thanks
Somebody told me the other day that sometimes hens are lighter in colour when very young. I don't know if any of you have noticed any difference..

[colorin]

well, here's one of the "darker" ones that is already colouring up !
He fledged on 15th Jan, and I have other chicks that fledged 10 days before and have no new feathers yet. I didn't know they could start that soon..

[Diane]

I think there is a difference in the depth of colour in the youngsters, the males tend to have a greater difference in the feathering where the purple will be while the hens are lighter all throught the chest and belly. I havent had enough white chested youngsters to check out yet.

[colorin]

update on these chicks. 3 of them are cocks (they sing all day long)
two are YH and two are RH,
now, those chicks who have a lighter-green back , one is YH and the other is RH (so the paler back colour has nothing to do with the head colour, nor does it have to do with being hen or cock.
These are the two paler-green backs, OH-PC on the left (cock) and RH on the right


the other OH, darker-green back (cock, also PC):


so, I still don't know the reason for those paler backs... could they be diluted?? ?

[colorin]

well, they are all going through their moult and I can now tell that those two "paler" ones are diluted indeed . Also, the chick that was the first colouring up is now the last to moult.
This is one of the "paler green backs". A diluted OH:


so, as nor the mother nor the father are diluted or yellow... I guess the mother had an "affair" with the male next door (a SF yellow)
tsk, tsk, tsk