Basic Colour Genetics Website

Willawong Hill

Songster
Apr 28, 2020
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Queensland, Australia
Hi,
Can anyone point me in the direction of a good colour genetics website? I'm particularly interested in relation to Pekin/Cochins and Australian would be a bonus.
I think i'm starting to get the black/blue/splash and cuckoo/barred genes, but I get confused as to what is a silver or gold based chicken (except when it's more obvious like gold laced vs silver laced), is this something that hides under other colours? eg would a black or red be gold or silver based? Also pencilled, partridge and laced- are these differnt pattern genes or just different names in different parts of the world? Can all of these patterns show up on any background colour, or do some hide? Thanks!
 
http://www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics/mutations1.html
Elderas is really helpful for poultry genetics.
Okay, first of all, anything red is gold based... except, a chicken can express red and still be silver based. For example, salmon is actually silver wheaten with the mahogany (red) gene.
A silver duckwing with the mahogany gene appears to be cream with a red shoulder, but you can really only see this in the males.
95E08F9A-B078-48AE-B727-E4116E643957.png

Second of all, blacks are always gold or silver. Some are gold based, some are silver based. It depends upon the breed. Most are gold based because it is more common. Some blue breeders, will be silver. Sometimes they will get gold or silver leakage, and you will be able to tell.


Okay, pencilling, partridge, lacing... you really touched the quick there. Allow me to clumsily explain the most miscommunicated part of the poultry genetics world as best I can...
Pencilled- partridge gene+lacing= pencilling. Sometimes it is called partridge, sometimes called pencilling. Often used with the silver equivalent
1588084545887.jpeg

(Silver pencilled rock-partridge+pattern gene+silver)
There is also something called transverse pencilling which is a totally different pattern made up of different genes. It is also known as autosomal barring, which is somewhat less confusing, but still a misnomer for people who will confuse it with sex-linked barring.
1588084894892.jpeg

(Transverse pencilling- birchen, ginger, pattern gene)
Partridge- this one is confusing... It is a gene on the e locus, controlling the black extension. Basically it removes the red from the breast of the hen.
1588084230137.jpeg
(Dark brown Leghorns are a prime example of this, but they have the mahogany gene.)
However, it is also the name for a color, which is partridge based with a pattern gene. Partridge is almost always seen with a pattern gene, which shows double lacing. In America, partridge birds also have the mahogany gene.
1588084346722.jpeg

(Partridge pattern with pattern gene, no mahogany, from Britain)
1588084426303.jpeg
(Partridge with pattern gene and mahogany, from America.)
To complicate things further, many people in other countries call the duckwing pattern partridge, which can be confusing.
Lacing- lacing basically means any edging on the feather that contrasts with the regular color.
1588085183068.jpeg

(the edging on the feather of this blue would be considered “lacing,” though it’s not really a laced pattern)
There are two laced patterns made of multiple different genes.
1588085323803.jpeg

(Gold laced- birchen, columbian, ginger, melanized, pattern gene)
1588085733856.jpeg

(Gold laced (black tail)- partridge, columbian, melanized, pattern gene. Wyandottes are different from Sebrights and Polish, the pattern doesn’t go through their tails.)
Double lacing is another pattern made of multiple genes.
1588086202223.jpeg

(Double laced- partridge, melanized, pattern gene. I can’t recall whether Barnevelders also have the mahogany gene.)
There is also Andalusian lacing
1588087113032.jpeg

(Andalusian blue- birchen, melanized, pattern gene)

DISCLAIMER: none of these are my pictures.
 
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Does anyone know if "mealy gray" is another term for silver/ blue duckwing? Or are there other genes invoved?
There are other genes involved. I don’t think mealy grey breeds true, I think it’s something you get out of mixing colors.
 
Actually, I think mealy grey might be partridge, pattern gene, and silver, but not sure. Could just be a messy “partridge.”
 

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