# What colors are these?



## mrottler (Jun 11, 2011)

These are Saxon Priests. I was surprised that the reds appear to be ash red due to the grey lower body and tail bar. I was told this was a yellow, but it looks red to me. I had just assumed they would be recessive red for some reason. Am I correct in thinking this is ash red? 
Also what color is the silver one? It has a coppery glow on the chest instead of being the green/purple all the way down. SO I am wondering if she might be brown or khaki instead of dilute blue. 
I was told the parents on the red is the same as the silver (but not the blue one standing in the background). The parents are described as silver with brown bar and a Blue with no bars. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Michelle


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

It's definitely not yellow. It looks like recessive red to me, with the gray being the base color leaking through. I guess you would call that red white bar. The silver one is in fact silver. The yellowy color on the chest is bronze, which turns that color when it is diluted. Another white bar (caused by toy stencil).
The one in the back looks like a blue check from what I can see. But I'm guessing you must know the color or you'd ask about it 
Because neither of the parents of the red bird were ash-red, that means it has to be recessive red. Both parents had to be carrying RR. So that means 25% of their offspring were RRs and the rest were other colors that carried RR.


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## mrottler (Jun 11, 2011)

So the base color is blue showing through the recessive red? I've never seen that on my other recessive reds, but I guess I don't know if they carried blue.
I want to know what the bronze is--are you saying that when a blue bird has the dilute it gets a bronze chest from out of nowhere? Or that it is a blue bird which would have had a bronze chest but it is coppery with the dilution factor? If so, what is the bronze chest--another gene, something from toy stencil, or a mismarked bird? This is fascinating to me!


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

It's a blue bird which would have normally had some bronzing there. The dilute makes it a coppery color


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## loftkeeper (Sep 21, 2010)

Saxon Priests Are One Of The Breeds That Can Be Called Colored Pigeons . The Red Is A Poor Colored Red Bird The Silver Is Alright . You Must Breed Good Color To Good To Get The Right Color. Some Breeds Colors Are Not That Great And Others Have Good Color . The Germans Demand Great Color And Nothing Less. Priests Are One Of Them . Red Is Red No Blue At All. This Is From A Show Standard Veiw. White Bars Mean There Is Opal. Go To The Rare Breeds Website Or Pure Bred Pigeons And See If You Can Find Pics Of Them


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

While Dominant Opal does effect recessive red, I think Saxon Priests and Monks, it is toy stencil. Dominant Opal seems to wash out the RR color a bit, along with giving it the white bars. Toy stencil looks more clean and doesn't effect the red/yellow color of the bird.


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## mrottler (Jun 11, 2011)

These red are young, might they moult into better color (at least a little)? They don't even have the iridescent feathers on their neck yet. Also I thought opal was different than what causes the white bar in these birds, I thought it was caused by the toy stencil genes. 
I can't find these birds available anywhere, they don't come up under the internet searches, except for a couple of youtube videos and one loft. I will love having them in spite of whether they are poor quality or not, but wouldn't mind getting some to improve what I have. I can't pay an arm and a leg for pigeons like some, so I will have to be happy with what I have unless I find someone that has nice birds and wants to be my pigeon benefactor! Any Takers?


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## mrottler (Jun 11, 2011)

Oops. you answered my question before I finished my post! Thanks for all your input!
Michelle


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Colors usually change/improve after their first moult or two  So let's hope for the best!

The only guy I know personally that has them, is Danny Joe (vivagirl on here - that's his dog's name, by the way, LOL)
http://colorpigeons.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=11
He also has Double-crested Saxon Shields. Same bird you have, but a saddle variety.
http://colorpigeons.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=16


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