Color genetics thread.

[LizStreithorst]

I haven't read through this 141 page thread so my question may have been answered already and I just didn't see it.

I have 9 Light Brahma pullets and 1 Light Brahma cock. I also bought 2 Buff Brahama straight run chicks at the same time. The chicks are just over 3 1/2 months old now. I could tell which Light was the rooster weeks ago when his wattles started growing longer and the wattles and come became more of a bright red that the others. I also noticed that his tail feathers had a green iridescence to them. I thought that both of the Buffs looked like pullets.

I give them a close look today and one of the Buffs has a bit of the green iridescence to it's tail feathers and although it doesn't have larger wattles, it's comb seems to be a bit redder and better developed.

Are the different colors of Brahmas's considered to be different varieties or different breeds? One day the hens will lay, and later one day one will go broody and one day even later I hope have chicks. Will the little chickies be mutts or they they be a variety of two varieties? Is it a good idea to let them interbreed? If someone wanted some chicks do I just call them a Brahma cross?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Thanks Moonshiner! Now I'll have to watch the chicks grow up. Since the current rooster is silver all I have is silver chicks, but if I can detect any red "leakage" on the males as they grow up all I have to do is decide if I want to go through that awful teenage rooster stage with a replacement.

When I was working with the silver/gold I was crossing gold duckwing and silver duckwing.
The silver/gold cockerels looked like silver duckwing but got a dingy yellowish color in the hackles, and saddle feathers.
It was pretty easy to tell who was silver who was gold and who was silver/gold.

 

[junebuggena]

I haven't read through this 141 page thread so my question may have been answered already and I just didn't see it.

I have 9 Light Brahma pullets and 1 Light Brahma cock. I also bought 2 Buff Brahama straight run chicks at the same time. The chicks are just over 3 1/2 months old now. I could tell which Light was the rooster weeks ago when his wattles started growing longer and the wattles and come became more of a bright red that the others. I also noticed that his tail feathers had a green iridescence to them. I thought that both of the Buffs looked like pullets.

I give them a close look today and one of the Buffs has a bit of the green iridescence to it's tail feathers and although it doesn't have larger wattles, it's comb seems to be a bit redder and better developed.

Are the different colors of Brahmas's considered to be different varieties or different breeds? One day the hens will lay, and later one day one will go broody and one day even later I hope have chicks. Will the little chickies be mutts or they they be a variety of two varieties? Is it a good idea to let them interbreed? If someone wanted some chicks do I just call them a Brahma cross?

Each variety was derived from different lineage, but selected to be the same in terms of conformation. Technically, each variety of any breed, is a separate breed. But with chickens, breed is not solely determined by parentage. If an individual meets the breed standard for a particular breed, including coloration, it is that breed.
Depends. The male offspring from the Light to Buff pairings will have red/gold leakage, so they won't meet the breed standard and thus cannot be considered Brahmas of any variety. The female offspring will meet the breed standard for Light Brahmas, and thus can be considered Light Brahmas.
There is no reason why you can't cross the two varieties, if you just want to expand your flock a bit. When selling chicks, do so with complete disclosure and the buyer's full awareness that you have crossed varieties.

 

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks so much. That is exactly what I wanted to know.

 

[kittydoc]

Does anyone know if LF Cochins are dominant white or recessive white? I got a Partridge cockerel and a white pullet in an assorted Cochin order. If all I'm going to get are whites (dominant white), then I'll sell them. I was supposed to get two pullets and the refund for my cockerel is coming. He is a handsome devil but I don't know who my older roos would accept him. The pullet is a doll (and the boy is nice, too) but I don't want to just keep one. I'd rather keep the pair or sell the pair. I just need to know whether I'm going to get forever whites or whether, if she's recessive white, I'd at least get black offspring carrying the white recessive. (That's what the chicken color chart says, anyway.) TIA for your help!

 

[redrooster99]

Hey everybody, thread starter here!!! Been a while since ive been on here. no chickens at the time but fixing to get back started breeding them. I know a lot more about genetics now.

 

[junebuggena]

Does anyone know if LF Cochins are dominant white or recessive white? I got a Partridge cockerel and a white pullet in an assorted Cochin order. If all I'm going to get are whites (dominant white), then I'll sell them. I was supposed to get two pullets and the refund for my cockerel is coming. He is a handsome devil but I don't know who my older roos would accept him. The pullet is a doll (and the boy is nice, too) but I don't want to just keep one. I'd rather keep the pair or sell the pair. I just need to know whether I'm going to get forever whites or whether, if she's recessive white, I'd at least get black offspring carrying the white recessive. (That's what the chicken color chart says, anyway.) TIA for your help!

Cochins SHOULD be recessive white, however, when it comes to hatchery stock there are no sure things. Regardless, recessive white will throw mostly solid black.

 

[Violetsfeathers]

Cochins SHOULD be recessive white, however, when it comes to hatchery stock there are no sure things. Regardless, recessive white will throw mostly solid black.

I crossed my white Cochin bantam hen with my blue Cochin bantam roo and got black and blue chicks

 

[junebuggena]

I crossed my white Cochin bantam hen with my blue Cochin bantam roo and got black and blue chicks

Blue would be the one exception, since it's a dominant dilute for black. Recessive white is a 'modifier' for black.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

As I understand it probably the white bird is black under the white gene... and now all chicks carry a recessive white gene. So if you cross back to white parent you could get white, black, or blue (if you use blue offspring), cross the f1s all three colors possible but if to blue parent, you should get blues and blacks that may or may not carry white gene. I am no expert on this but I think this is what would happen.