Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ducks and Banny hens 
Sorry for inadvertently causing confusion... I did not mean to suggest that true black be called Gold Birchen, but I was trying to point out that some call it that, but calling it Gold Birchen is incorrect and causes confusion.
About Recessive black.. I should have mentioned that some believe that Bronze is E/E; Co/Co.
i.e. that would explain why when say, a Black Giant is crossed with a New Hampshire, the offspring almost always look bronze (however - I agree that I don't know of any testing that has been done to find out whether Self Black carries a Melanizer, or if Bronze carries a Restrictor. Some sources can't seem to even agree on whether E is dominant or Incompletely dominant.
Try reading the following:
Smyth, J.R. Jr. (1976) Genetic Control of Melanin Pigmentation in the Fowl. Proc. 25th Poultry Breeder's Roundtable (Kansas City), 69-86
Moore, J.W., Smyth JR Jr., 1971. Melanotic: Key to a Phenotypic Enigma in the Fowl. J Hered. 62: 215-219
You can download the above from the internet.
The following can be found at a university library
Kimball, E., 1954.Genetics of Birchen Plumage Pattern in the Fowl. Poult. Sci. 33: 472-481
Kimball, E., 1952a . Genetic Relation of Extended Black to Wild Type Plumage Pattern in the Fowl. Poult. Sci. 31:73-79.
Kimball, E., 1960. Genetics of Wheaten Plumage in the Fowl. Poultry Sci. 39:768-774
Dunn,L.C. 1922. A Gene for the Extension of Black Pigment in Domestic Fowls.The American Naturalist , Vol. 56, No. 646 (Sep. - Oct.,), pp. 464-466
I have made extended black and black tailed red crosses and the research indicates the cross produces gold birchen like females and males that express some red in the pyle zone. My crosses agree with the research.
The research shows that self black birds do carry additional melanizers; the chief two being melanotic and the pattern gene. There are other undocumented melanizers.
Many self black birds are extended black or birchen at the E locus. Some self black birds carry the brown allele. Research shows that as a general rule extended black is dominant in females and incompletely dominant in males.
Tim
Ps. I do not know where this high lighting came from.
Edited by tadkerson - 3/19/12 at 4:40am