Backyard Poultry Forum

The Dark Greys are a personal favourite of mine and there are some excellent examples of this variety in Australia. Pull together your photos and articles / information and see what we can learn.



This article by Islander is a good starting point -

Here's what Atkinson had to say on the back of the Feathered World Post Card Series -

Here's an interesting passage from Strachan (The Royal Fowl) in relation to Dark Greys and Mark Marshall -

I admit I hadn't realised how far back the scorn for exhibiting birds originally bred for fighting started. It's a pity, really, as I don't believe that anyone deserves to be berated for their purpose in keeping and breeding fowl, as long as those purposes are within the laws of the land.

Interesting documents otherwise!

An account of the success of the Newmarket Greys (referred to by Islander - above) at Oxford from Thompson (Oxford OEG Fowl Club - A Short History of the Club from its inception until 1967) -

It is a very handsome colouring, however. Is it found in any other breeds, does anyone know? Are there any tricks to maintaining the colour in the modern birds? I'd love to see some photos of the suitable hens, and chick down, and how the colour develops as the chicks age.

Thanks for the discussion!

Dark Grey & chicks

Why should they be promoted and marketed? The fact that they haven't been is why they are still around today the same as they always have been.

Here is a couple of dark Grey hens

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Drover

"The wheels still turning, but the hamsters dead"

Dark Greys - Philippines

Dark Greys - Australia

Hi Info,

it is also the colouration of Silver Sussex, basically it is silver birchren, in sussex lacing of white down the chest is also desirable.

In some show strains of OEG the lacing is prominent on males and females.

Add lavender to this colour pattern and the going name in Australia is Platinum?

BR

Christian

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Interested in Plymouth Rocks, Breeder of Light Barred Standard

The wing bow shows different amounts of colour. Some are all black, and others show more silver or even a lemony colour in the feathering. Why does that happen and is there a preference?

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Backyard Poultry Forum

A thread worth starting;

DARK GREY GENE

Northfolk Greys also carry this gene; I have read one line of these were started with Dark Grey OE blood and Australorp / Black Java blood

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=northfolk+greys&hl=en&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4ADFA_enAU433AU434&site=webhp&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=Q1nyTsSmM--UiQeXo83BAQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAQ&biw=1152&bih=620

Hennies

Sketch - Atkinson

Dark Grey Hennie - Australia

Manna gum,

Very interesting thread - and rather interesting timing. I was doing a bit of reading up on Norfolk Greys (a rather rare British dual purpose breed) and what was used in their make up (probably not more than an hour or two before you put up the post): a mention was made of "Dark Grey OEG", and I was wondering what on earth these looked like.

Norfolk greys have very much the same colour pattern as Dark Grey OEG - and rather distinct from Silver sussex.

Some images of them can be found here http://www.britannicrarebreeds.co.uk/br ... lkgrey.php

This colour pattern is actually the subject of a current discussion at The Coop - mainly in the context of distinguishing between non-melanised black (E) and birchen (ER).

It would appear that the colouration of Norfolk Greys (in conjunction with chick colour and leg colour) would be consistent with non-melanised E rather than birchen - and it would be interesting to see chick down colour of Dark grey OEG (I suspect this would similarly be the case).

As Christian has pointed out, silver sussex have a lot more silver (including breast lacing) than this colouration - if the suspicions of this colouration in Dark grey OEG are correct, this would be an example of how two phenotypes can be rather similar, but have a very different genetic foundation.

Cheers,
Htul

Dark Grey OEG Australia - Pegawl gallery 1939; bred by well know a Tweed River breeder of the period.

Dark Grey OEG Australia - Stigy gallery 2010 photo