I bought a double factor spangle cock today who is almost pure white except for a bit of grey showing through under his bib. On first inspection I thought it was a poorly marked pied but the seller assures me it is double factor spangle. So my question is, how does double factor spangle work to mask the colour so much? I plan on pairing him with a yellow face grey hen. Would this be a good combination?

Are you absolutely sure he is a DF Spangle ? Does he have iris rings and a blue cere ?

Yes, all of the above.

A double factor spangle mated to a normal will produce 100% single factor spangle chicks.

Mating him to the yellow face grey will produce

Grey spangles

Yellow face grey spangles

Blue spangles

Yellow face blue spangles

If other mutations appear they will combine with the spangle

Thanks for that. Sounds like a nice combination then. Can't wait for them to go down.

Can you post a picture of him here? I would love to see him sounds gorgeous.

If you see a grey suffision like you are explaning he the Double Factor gene is masking the Grey gene.

So my question is, how does double factor spangle work to mask the colour so much?

 

1 gene of spangle (or the normal spangles we see) reduces marking pigment in wing by around half, leaving thin lines of marking that we recognise as spangle markings, whilst having no effect on body colour. In the double factor spangle (2 spangle genes) it removes pigment almost totally from the whole body of the bird - sometimes leaving backgroung pigment patches on the body but not always. Exhibition breeders try to select for those birds that do not carry body colour patches (or suffusion as we call it).