Question about color

[Rog]

   Mousy  No not that I could find. Anyway you could post it?      Rog

[Rog]

   Ok I found this.       Characteristics

The breed has two varieties, differentiated by comb type; the single comb Nankin has a large comb with five points, and the rose comb has a medium size one ending in a single spike. All Nankins come in a single color, with buff on the body and black tails. The golden hue is deeper and more lustrous in males, and they have the longer sickle feathers common in roosters. Their beaks are a light horn color, and legs are slate blue.[1]
Nankins are very friendly in disposition. Though they retain the ability to fly because of their small bodies and relatively large, downward-slanted wings, they tend to be less active and flighty than other bantams overall. They do well in confinement, and tend not to wander much when allowed to free range. Due to their small size and more prominent comb and wattles (especially in the single comb variety), they are not cold hardy chickens, and require insulated shelter in northern regions. The breed matures slowly, and makes a poor meat producer. Their eggs are very small and a creamy white color. Nankin hens are remarkably good mothers, and often go broody.[1] Nankins are amazing pets! If you are looking for a chicken, this is the one you should get!
[edit]History

Nankins are thought to be one of the oldest true bantam breeds, originating somewhere in Southeast Asia. Though they first became widespread in the West only in the 18th century, there is evidence for their presence in England going back to the 16th century.[2] They may have been imported from the Chinese city of Nanjing (or Nanking), thus resulting in their name. As a bantam long present in the U.K. especially, the Nankin contributed to the formation of many other bantams more common today, such as the Sebright.[2]
The number of Nankins declined in the West after the mid 19th century, along with the importation of newer and more exotic Asian breeds. Though their popularity with poultry fanciers may have waned, they were still often raised by game bird farmers to incubate the eggs of such species as pheasants, quail and partridges,[3] a use that may have kept the breed from disappearing altogether.[1]
Interest in Nankins in North America largely sprung out of attention from the American Bantam Association in the 1960s.[3] Today, Nankins are still only recognized by the American Bantam Association, and are not accepted in to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection. A U.S. breed club was formed for the first time in 2006.[3] They are classified as critically endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.[1][2]

[Mousy]

Sorry I posted quickly before going to bed. When I get home tonight I'll do some typing....

Rog some of that text looks familiar, have you got a reference and year?

Mousy.

[Falling Tree Farm]

Rog and others--in the description, the color of the Nankin egg is "creamy white," at this point it can be anything from white to fairly dark brown-another sign of past crosses.  Also please let us see the results of the cross you are planning.
I will try to post a photo of some of my roosters soon.  I think you will find them larger and also more brightly colored.  Relaxed my roos are about 13" tall with the top of the comb and the top of the sickle feather being about equal, but if they are nervous and "showing" they will easily stretch themselves up to 14" or in some cases even a bit more.
Woody do you know the genetic background to the black tail buff roos?

[Mousy]

Rog and others--in the description, the color of the Nankin egg is "creamy white," at this point it can be anything from white to fairly dark brown-another sign of past crosses. 

Erm, I've only ever seen creamy white to white eggs come from a Nankin hen. I think I'd be quite alarmed if I was sent dark brown Nankin eggs and I'd sent them back....

Or this just be being lucky or naive?

Mousy.

[WoodyMcGehee]

Mine are laying all creamy white eggs as well.

I have two lines.  My darker roos came from Mary Ann and my lighter roos from Darlene.  Is she on this list?

[Rog]

   Check this one out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nankin_(chicken) and this http://www.raising-chickens.org/nankin.html    Rog

[Mousy]

This is from are "Rare Poultry Breeds" by David Scrivener where they've re-printed an exert from the 1853 "The Poultry Book" by The Rev. W. Wingfield and G.W.Johnson:

The Nankin or Yellow Bantams, appear to have been among the earliest importations; and , though  now seldom considered as show birds, their clear plumage and active figure still procure for them many admirers. Their prevailing colour is the pale orange-yellow of the Nankeen (a corruption from Nankin), a cotton material formerly much in vogue for summer ware in this country, as also in India. The hen has usually some dark markings on the hackle (but the less the better), and the tail is often tipped with black; while the male bird shows an intermixture of red and dark chestnut on the back and wings, the tail being black and well arched. Both sexes have short dark legs, and a double[rose] comb.

David Scrivener follows this by saying:

This passage concludes by saying that many Nankins had single combs, and that their owners considered these as equally correct.

Mousy.

[WoodyMcGehee]

Below are the colors I found for the "nankeen" color in China.

[WoodyMcGehee]

Below are pictures of Howard Kogan's Nankins.

[Falling Tree Farm]

Some Nankins-I have posted these for the examples of color in the males. Howard
THANK TO WOODY FOR THE TECHNICAL ASSIST.  I have trouble tying my shoe-laces!  Howard

[WoodyMcGehee]

Those are really beautiful birds Howard.  What is thier origin? 

[WoodyMcGehee]

I looked in my "standard of perfection" from 1923 that my grandfather handed down to me.  The Nankins are not in there at all.

[WoodyMcGehee]

I was looking on the nankinbantams.com front page and reading that description.  From what it says (assuming that chesnut is darker than "orange red") The head should be darkest, with the hackle dark moving into lighter as it approaches the saddle.  The saddle then should still be "red" but should be "orange red".  The rest of the body should be chesnut red "brilliant to light".

The tail should have lacing of medium chesnut. 

Howard, looks to me like you have some good birds in color.  There isnt a lot of lacing on the tail - but everything else looks really good color wise.

Type is something I guess someone else would have to speak to - I dont know much about that.  Im no expert at the color - just doing a best guess.   Anyway - some really pretty birds.

[Mousy]

Interestingly some of that hen's colouring in the neck is not far off that colour swab.

I've posted previously what the UK standard says on male plumage.
But what precisely does the USA standard say with colour?

If I get time at the week-end I see if I can get some pictures of my birds, as I'm happier saying what I think is right and wrong with them and other commenting on them, but I'm always a bit worried about doing it with others especially if you don't know the people concerned in case you upset anyone.

Mousy.