Marked White
HISTORY: In 1948 Mr Levitt Hunt of Pymble in Sydney bred 3 pure white hens with black tear drops and almost black tail marks. Through selective line breeding he soon produced cock birds; pure white with the markings of the normal Grey. In 1950 Mr Levitt Hunt obtained 3 hens (CFW) from Mr Whitehouse, but when he received the birds he noticed they were not pure white; unlike his own. He commenced breeding and achieved, as he described, disastrous results. All the young produced had off white bodies and lighter markings than his own birds.
GENETICS: SEX-LINKED
- Marked White x Marked White = Marked White cocks and hens
- Marked White x Grey = Grey/marked white cocks and Marked White hens
- Grey x Marked White = Grey/marked white cocks and Grey hens
- Grey/marked white x Marked White = Marked White & Grey/marked white cocks and Grey & Marked White hens
- Grey/marked white x Grey = Grey & Grey/marked white cocks and Grey & Marked White hens *
* This mating is not recommended as it is visually impossible to detect which Greys are pure.
SHOW FAULTS:
COCK
- Body colour not white
- Dirty colour on head
- Diluted markings
HEN
- Body colour not white
- Dirty colour on head
- Pale tail coverts
AVAILABILITY: Common; although 'true' Marked Whites (as per standard) do not exist today.
GENERAL: Recent breeding experiments seem to indicate that todays Marked White is a darker version of the Chestnut Flanked White. Through selective breeding breeders are attempting to produce the 'true' Marked White; the biggest problem is as the markings darken the 'white body' discolours to a creamish/sooty grey.
SHOW STANDARD:
COCK
- Eyes - Dark
- Beak - Red
- Feet & Legs - Orange
- Head, neck & wings - White
- Underparts - White
- Tear Drop - Black
- Face Area - White
- Breast Bar - Black
- Cheek Lobes - Orange-brown
- Throat & Upper Breast - Grey, with black lines
- Side Flanks - Reddish-brown, with white spots
- Tail Coverts - Black, with white bars
- Tail - 2 shade lighter than coverts
- Rump - White
HEN
- As for cock, except all cock markings replaced by white.
- Beak - Reddish-orange