Launched 12th February 2009 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth
The dawn of an idea with the
aid of peristeronic steps..........
Darwin's Pigeons
1859-2009- 150 years of Darwin's Origin of Species
Breeding Example 2
2008 Damascene Cock with incomplete Dominant Ice factor which affects the smooth spread areas of the bird but not the coarse spread bar pattern on the shield , tail and wing remiges.
Damascene Cock paired to English Modena Schietti Silver Cream Hen
This pairing I tried during the summer 2009.The offspring varied in colour with one chick lighter than the other but in each nest (2 nests tested) the lighter chicks faded away before 14 days old with only the wild type surviving to fledge. This does not have to be a genetic problem and could be a general health problem.
The chick featured looked like the typical wild type in colour at fledging but has a shorter beak like the Damascene Sire and and a shorter tail, no real sign of the incomplete dominant Ice factor which came through much better in the 'Breeding Example' on the previous page. The head is nicely rounded but both parents have this feature. The legs have the odd feather towards the feet which the Modena hen has a tendency towards. The bars on the wing shield appeared dark.
The chick is particularly tame but again the Modena Dam and even more so the Damascene Sire are friendly. The tameness shows itself more as a dominance to myself with pecking, wing slapping, cooing, circling and generally showing off when I approach them.
2004 Modena Schietti Hen recessive sex linked dilute, brown series and KM = Modena Bronze
(More recently Changed to TS1) which only shows on pattern (coarse spread ) on the shield and sometimes on the breast which is opposite to the Ice factor Damascene Cock.
The bronze is not showing as actual bronze colour due to the brown feather not having any black pigment, coupled with the dilute gene which shows as a rich ochre bar known to Modena fanciers as Silver Cream.
2009 Cross Damascene Modena November 2009 now showing slight bronzing on the wing bars from the KM Modena Bronze ( more recently changed to TS1) which is an incomplete dominant.
Modena bronze is well known for not transferring very well in F1.
The only slight trace of Ice facor is in the tail.
This bird is carrying sex linked recessive brown and sex linked recessive dilute.
In this picture the cross bred youngster ( on left ) about 3 and half weeks looks to be the typical wild type colour that Darwin was looking for.
Cross Damascene Modena 3 1/2 weeks.
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