#mottled

Oatkit, Carpkit, and Waterkit

September 17th, 2024

There are believed to be multiple mottling alleles, all of them recessive to non-mottling. They cause different chick down patterning and varying amounts of white. I am not going to cover all of the alleles, all you need to know that mottling is mo and nonmottling is Mo+

There is some debate as to whether the less even pattern found in exchequer birds is a different allele or if the neat, v-shaped white mottles could simply be achieved through selective breeding. My thoughts? Probably both. Uneven mottling can be turned into neat mottling through selective breeding, but there are some alleles that are messier than others.

It is believed that mille fluer is buff columbian but with extra modifiers, specifically melanizers like the pattern gene and melanotic to create spangling.

The interruption of pigment production by the mottle also helps create this neat spangle. It takes longer for a bird to produce pheomelanin than it does eumelanin. So the mottle interupts pigment, then the bird produces eumelanin, then pheomelanin. That is why the double laced wheaten pattern that you find in dark Cornish gives black edges around the mottles on Spangled Cornish.

The bird works with what it has. If there is no melanin present in the feather at all, the bird will not produce a black edge around the mottle, as evidenced by this red mottled Ancona photographed by Breeding Chickens with Sander.

The black in the spangles can also be diluted to blue or white using the blue and dominant white genes. This cute "Golden Neck" d'Uccle is genetically mille fluer with the dominant white gene.

Mottled is unique in that a mottled bird changes with every molt. The initial chick down looks pied, as seen by these mottled Cochin chicks from Murray McMurray hatchery.

Pied is gene present in many species that give an animal colored patches on top and white patches on the bottom. (See pied guineas, peafowl or pied ducks.) But mottled is not the same mutation as pied. Pied remains the same pattern throughout an animal's life.

The first chick molt gives the same impression

(photo from One Hundred Dollars a Month.)

However, with respective juvenile molts the white becomes more and more evenly distributed over the bird until you get the first adult plumage: the first time the mottling is evenly distrubuted over the whole bird.

With each respective adult molt the bird gets more and more white but distribution continues to be relatively even. (different bird but you get the point)

Now lets cover some oddities. The Ayam Tulak has what looks almost like pied plumage and based on the pictures, the pattern may remain constant throughout its life. However, there are none here in the US and its inheritance is unknown. I would like to know if it is allelic with mottling or if it is true pied (or something else.)

White crests in Polish (this one being a white-crested chocolate) is also theorized to be allelic with mottling.

If you look at the chick down, it is very similar to mottled chick down.

Also, while most of the white distribution on white crested blacks is on their crests, some do have a few tiny mottles on their bodies. Personally, I have seen a white crested black with some mottles at a show.

White crested black is recessive to nonmottled but codominant with at least one other mottling allele.

Step into the extraordinary world of Empasthesia, an enchanting art that allows one to traverse the intricate crevices of the human mind and unlock its secrets. Join me as we unravel the mysteries of this magical ability and delve into its fascinating depths.

At its core, Empasthesia enables practitioners, known as Empaths, to navigate the thoughts, memories, and emotions of others, translating them into a comprehensible form. This mystical skill grants them the ability to forge deep connections, understand their own mental states, and even master the art of wordless telekinesis.

The journey of an Empath begins with the basics, stepping into the mind of another and interpreting their inner workings. Simple conversations and insights can be exchanged, fostering understanding and empathy. As proficiency grows, Empaths can discern truth from falsehood, infiltrate telepathic exchanges, and anticipate the actions of those around them. Masters of Empasthesia possess awe-inspiring abilities, projecting thoughts and memories into visual manifestations, sensing the living thoughts of the lost or dying within a limited range, entering the dreams of others as mere observers, and even dampening the empathic abilities of their peers. Truly rare talents include telepathically communicating with more than eight beings simultaneously, traversing the minds of multiple individuals at once, and possessing the power to sever physical neurological links within the brain. However, it is important to note that those with nefarious intentions may exploit Empasthesia to manipulate the minds they invade.

In opposition to Empasthesia lies Mottlsthesia, a countermeasure that disrupts and obscures thoughts and memories, rendering them disordered or even hidden from intruders. This technique can also impede telepathic communication, although it offers limited protection against highly skilled individuals.

While Fizzles may refer to Empasthesia as "Telepathy," practitioners dismiss this term as overly simplistic. Empaths possess a range of abilities beyond mere "mind reading." The Fizzle definition of telepathy fails to capture the intricate complexities of Empasthesia. It encompasses a multifaceted art that extends far beyond a single ability. Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of this extraordinary gift.