# What have I got going here? What is under that grizzle?



## bluedingo (Oct 10, 2008)

*What have I got going here? What is under that grizzle? Tortoiseshell/bronzing info*

Hello,
I've got a recent young bird (2013 band, green) that has some quite unusual coloration that I can't quite seem to figure out. As seen in the picture, the bird has white grizzle with some red flocking for most of the body and upper wings. The flight feathers and tail feathers are black tipped with white underneath and a little red flecking. The parents, shown in the subsequent posts, are an ash red check hen with white flights and tail, and a homozygous grizzle cock with what I assume is blue genes from the occasional blue flecking.

I was hoping to be able to tell sex from the color as with that combo all reds would be cocks and all the blues would be hens. Just when I thought I had it worked out I got this crazy looking young bird. Some thoughts on the genetics at play would be greatly appreciated.


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## bluedingo (Oct 10, 2008)

*Momma*

The ash red hen...


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## bluedingo (Oct 10, 2008)

*Poppa*

The grizzle cock...


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

i get alot marked like this guy, they call the reddish coloring either bronzing or a tortoise shell grizzle, it may get darker or it may get lighter in color.


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## bluedingo (Oct 10, 2008)

Awesome, thanks for the info! Does that imply the bird has a base color of blue, making this bird a hen?


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## tmaas (May 17, 2012)

bluedingo said:


> Awesome, thanks for the info! Does that imply the bird has a base color of blue, making this bird a hen?


Yes, it's a hen.


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