Lavender (chicken plumage)

On the color background of the Belgian Bearded d'Uccle Bantams, frequently referred to as the "Mille Fleur" in the United States,[2] lavender causes the pattern known as "porcelain".

[11] Until now, all the reported causal mutations in MLPH (melanophilin) of humans, mice, and other species have been single-base substitutions or small deletions, the effects of which were limited to the dilution of hair[12][13] or feather colour.

This produces a diluted, leaden or lavender blue-grey colour and has been reported in several mammals: humans (Griscelli syndrome type 3),[12] mice,[14] cats,[15] dogs[16] and minks.

[18] In this species, the lavender phenotype is associated with a non-lethal complex mutation involving three consecutive overlapping chromosomal changes (two inversions and one deletion) that have consequences on the genomic organization of four genes (MLPH and the neighbouring PRLH, RAB17 and LRRFIP1).

[19] In other bird species, similar feather colour dilutions have been described, including the autosomal recessive slate turkey (Meleagris gallopavo),[9][20] milky pigeon (Columba livia),[21] and the lavender muscovy duck (Cairina moschata).