white in the faces

[danhonour]

I was wondering the thoughts of other breeders concerning white in the faces of older Leghorns,especially cocks.Do all or most older males get it and more each year they age?Mine seem to.Could it be a strain thing?Does earlobe size or shape influence this?Do you have to use some partly red or marbled birds ?

[khrday]

Do you think it might passable be influence of Spanish or minoca blood because they have been used in the passed??and what colour is most susceptible than others???is it self or coloured??

[danhonour]

I was thinking with my Buff Leghorns,the amount of Spanish blood would be tiny and back a long way at best.However Buff Orpington or Buff Rock would be more and not too far back.These being red faced and lobed should help the white face I would think. Perhaps it varies between strains. I had one person say that cockerels and pullets are better for showing,so forget about cocks and hens.Another said old bird are poor layers and old males have low fertility so just forget about anything past a year and a half old. Well I think outstanding birds should be retained and older birds have proven they are healthy enough to live and have immunity,plus the eggs are bigger and so are the chicks. I was hoping for more responses.We might come up with some good ideas if there is some discussion. Dan Honour

[toshanco]

I don't doubt any of the things said about the young birds fertility and showing capabilities, but I agree that there are advantages for keeping fit and healthy older birds. That said, I am unsure of the answer to your actual question about white faces and I look forward to seeing what more experienced members think.