Wheatens and the possibility of Recessive Whites

[Andrew Johnson]

We recently had a naughty Crested Cream Legbar cockerel jump the fence into the Wheaten pin back in late December. So we have had to stop selling our W/BW day olds all together. We decided to grow them out until we knew for certain which chicks were unaffected to this cross. All of the day olds without the dark markings on top of their heads or stripes on their backs or both have all grew out to be pure W/BW. Some with the dark markings on top of their heads have grown to be pure. Some have not. But the hatch 3 weeks ago we had a chick with no markings begin to show signs of white wing feathers. It now has clearly become, what I believe to be, a Recessive White bird. The hackle and breast feathers are also growing in now as well, both are also solid white. Is Recessive White really that common?

[Janie Vila]

Do you have a picture?
Sounds interesting.

[Andrew Johnson]

It will be 4 weeks old this weekend, so it is in the ugly stinker stage. But here are a few...

[Andrew Johnson]

Another... and sorry for the double post. Only way I've been able to figure out uploading from my phone.

[Mike Gilbert]

The only way for it to be recessive white would be if both parents were carriers of the gene.   One would not make it happen.   I'm not familiar with the genetics of the cream crested legbar, sorry.
 Wayne Meredith used to get recessive whites from his wheatens, but for some strange reason they would leak more or less pheomelanin around the head/hackle/upper breast area.   Never did figure out why.    Years ago I saw it in bantams too, and Wayne created the LF wheatens with my bantams and crossed them with easter eggers to make the large fowl, so it's not surprising.  Don Cable also hatched some bantams like that in the very early years, and his also came from my stock.