Cream Partridge
We have made heavy use of exhibition line darks to improve type in all our varieties, including our partridge line. High quality darks have been known to carry a recessive gold inhibitor gene: ig, standing for inhibitor of gold. Birds with this recessive trait are often described cream, lemon, or citron. We suspect we picked up this gene from our repeated crosses to darks, and as a result our partridge line produces the occasional cream partridge.
Cream partridge hens are a truly unique and beautiful color. Their cream colored base is distinctly different from their more vibrantly colored partridge siblings, and equally different from the silver base of BSOs and darks. The cream base is similar to the base color of isabel Brahmas, but in isabel this color is caused by the lavender gene. The lavender gene also dilutes the pattern, meaning the penciling is diluted and often barely visible on isabel hens. The cream gene does not dilute the pattern so, unlike isabels, the penciling on cream partridge hens is still clear. And since cream does not alter the pattern color, the penciling can be either black, blue, or splash, where in isabel it can only ever be lavender.
The cream partridge roosters, on the other hand, look like the most vibrant DSO you could hope for. Likewise, cream blue partridge roosters look very similar to BSO. The unique advantage to cream partridge males is that, despite their pale gold appearance, they do have two copies of the gold gene. With two copies of the gold gene and two copies of the recessive gold inhibitor gene, these individuals will actually breed true. In contrast, the pale gold hackle and saddle feathers in BSO and DSO males is due to them having only one copy of the gold gene. The result is that these BSO and DSO males do not breed true and produce both silver and gold based offspring. If you breed out that one copy of the gold gene then you would have BSO and DSOs that breed true, but they would also lose a lot of the color that makes them so beautiful and sought after.
We do not have a dedicated cream partridge breeding group and unfortunately we do not know of any breeders who do. Until someone decides to take this on as a project, the only chance of getting these very unique Brahmas is to hatch eggs from a partridge line that carries cream (like ours) and to be lucky enough to have some cream partridge chicks in your hatch.
We have made heavy use of exhibition line darks to improve type in all our varieties, including our partridge line. High quality darks have been known to carry a recessive gold inhibitor gene: ig, standing for inhibitor of gold. Birds with this recessive trait are often described cream, lemon, or citron. We suspect we picked up this gene from our repeated crosses to darks, and as a result our partridge line produces the occasional cream partridge.
Cream partridge hens are a truly unique and beautiful color. Their cream colored base is distinctly different from their more vibrantly colored partridge siblings, and equally different from the silver base of BSOs and darks. The cream base is similar to the base color of isabel Brahmas, but in isabel this color is caused by the lavender gene. The lavender gene also dilutes the pattern, meaning the penciling is diluted and often barely visible on isabel hens. The cream gene does not dilute the pattern so, unlike isabels, the penciling on cream partridge hens is still clear. And since cream does not alter the pattern color, the penciling can be either black, blue, or splash, where in isabel it can only ever be lavender.
The cream partridge roosters, on the other hand, look like the most vibrant DSO you could hope for. Likewise, cream blue partridge roosters look very similar to BSO. The unique advantage to cream partridge males is that, despite their pale gold appearance, they do have two copies of the gold gene. With two copies of the gold gene and two copies of the recessive gold inhibitor gene, these individuals will actually breed true. In contrast, the pale gold hackle and saddle feathers in BSO and DSO males is due to them having only one copy of the gold gene. The result is that these BSO and DSO males do not breed true and produce both silver and gold based offspring. If you breed out that one copy of the gold gene then you would have BSO and DSOs that breed true, but they would also lose a lot of the color that makes them so beautiful and sought after.
We do not have a dedicated cream partridge breeding group and unfortunately we do not know of any breeders who do. Until someone decides to take this on as a project, the only chance of getting these very unique Brahmas is to hatch eggs from a partridge line that carries cream (like ours) and to be lucky enough to have some cream partridge chicks in your hatch.