# What is Pencil?



## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

Hi Everyone,

Love the site and all the great posters. I started raising rare colored homers about a year and a half ago. I have studied all the great genetics sites like Ron Huntley's and Frank Mosca's but I am confused about one thing. Can anyone tell me what Pencil is and what it looks like on a bird? If you can post a picture or web page as part of your explanation, that would be even better.

Thanks in advance,
Loonecho


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Are you referring to the REAL pencil, or "pencil" like some racers call sooty blues?


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## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

Good question. I know what sooty is and what it looks like and I guess I have seen where people refer to that as pencil. But it seems to me I have heard or seen some refer to something like pattern splashes called pencil as well. I would like to know what real pencil is and is it even something that is found in homers?


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Yes, homozygous pencils will usually give you an all white bird with colored head. As babies they have dark heads and lacing on the shield.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/243445735/in/set-72157594284493789/

Birds that carry pencil will show varying amounts of white. It can look a lot like undergrizzle or stencil.

Here's some pics from Slobberknocker.
http://www.slobberknockerlofts.com/pencil.htm

Yes, pencil is in homers. I can't remember who exactly breeds them - will have to go look. But I believe Dal Stone is one of them.


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## Henk69 (Feb 25, 2010)

From what I understand is that pencil is not responsible for the white belly of these pigeons, only the effect on the wing.


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## sirpigeon (Jan 25, 2002)

*Pencil homer*

I have attached a photo of one of my pencil homers. He also carries frill stencil and possibly gimpel. When he came out of the nest he was laced like a frill stencil, but molted out the typical pencil, white with a colored head. Beautiful pattern though.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Beautiful!  I would really like some of the rare colored homers.


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## Henk69 (Feb 25, 2010)

Why would one call that "pencil"?


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I don't know. I guess because it looks like someone penciled in little lacing marks? I don't know why people call sooties "pencil" either.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

sirpigeon said:


> I have attached a photo of one of my pencil homers. He also carries frill stencil and possibly gimpel. When he came out of the nest he was laced like a frill stencil, but molted out the typical pencil, white with a colored head. Beautiful pattern though.


* Your bird is nothing more then a RECESSIVE RED carring the Reversiion to white gene ( The process of reversion to white,associated with the reduced pigment reservoirs of recessive red pigeons, it is called acromatosis.) *GEORGE


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## indigobob (Nov 12, 2008)

The homing pigeon in the preceeding photograph is recessive red pencilled (this was the original designated name given by those who researched this gene!). The attached photo (courtesy of Slobberknocker Lofts colour chart) shows what the homer will look like when he has completed his moult, the feathers on his back still showing the pencilled effect.
In the juvenile plumage the homozygotes have a lacing or pencilling effect which moults out, more or less, with the first moult, hence the name.
The racing pigeon, in the attached photo, is what the racing pigeon fanciers call "pencilled" but it is sooty (so - an autosomal recessive gene).


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## Henk69 (Feb 25, 2010)

So pencil is progressive, like grizzle...


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## indigobob (Nov 12, 2008)

Henk69 said:


> So pencil is progressive, like grizzle...


Paul Gibson classifies pencilled as a "directional white".

Quote: "Directional whites include almond, grizzle, tiger grizzle, white grizzle, undergrizzle and pencilled which were discussed earlier, as well as some combinations with traits such as spread/indigo, spread/ash-red, spread/faded/ash-red, grizzle/indigo, grizzle/ash-red, etc."

So, in his opinion it behaves in a similar way to grizzle.


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