Basics of blues...

[Rlmp817]

So I am thinking about begining breeding chickens and selling the extras. I got 5 blue laced red Wyandottes, and one is looking particularly rooish at 3 weeks. (wide comb, huge feet etc) if that is the case, what will breeding a blue laced red over a blue laced red give? I know next to nothing about chicken genetics, but I have read that blues don't breed true.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Pictures of the birds would help. If they are all actually Blue-laced Red (and not Splash or Black-laced Red) you would get:

25% - Black-laced Red
50% - Blue-laced Red
25% - Splash-laced Red

http://www.sedgwickcommon.co.uk/the-colour-blue-in-chickens/

 

[Rlmp817]

Pictures of the birds would help. If they are all actually Blue-laced Red (and not Splash or Black-laced Red) you would
25% - Black-laced Red
50% - Blue-laced Red
25% - Splash-laced Red

http://www.sedgwickcommon.co.uk/the-colour-blue-in-chickens/

here are 2 of the older ladies (12 weeks here) I will take photos of the other 3 later today.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Those are both Splash-laced which means they carry two copies of the blue gene. It's possible the one on the left is a light Blue-laced Red which means it has one copy of the blue and one copy of the black gene.

 

[Rlmp817]

Those are both Splash-laced which means they carry two copies of the blue gene. It's possible the one on the left is a light Blue-laced Red which means it has one copy of the blue and one copy of the black gene.

OK, so say I have a ble laced red rooster over a splash laced hen, what would the offspring be in that instance? (any beginner resources would be appreciated, lol.)

 

[ColtHandorf]

That pairing would give you 50% Blue-laced and 50% Splash-laced Red, in theory of course. Statistics and the real world don't always agree. and if you click the link I provided and scroll down just a bit you can see a chart that shows the outcomes of certain crosses. The whole page explains the blue gene.

 

[Rlmp817]

That pairing would give you 50% Blue-laced and 50% Splash-laced Red, in theory of course. Statistics and the real world don't always agree. and if you click the link I provided and scroll down just a bit you can see a chart that shows the outcomes of certain crosses. The whole page explains the blue gene.

I just read it briefly, very very interesting! I will Re-read it later kwhe. The kids are napping)

 

[Rlmp817]

Suspected cockerel

pullet #1

Pullet #2

 

[ColtHandorf]

Looks like three Blue-laced Reds (trio - one cockerel and two pullets) and then two Splash that are also pullets. They look really gold/light versus red/mahogany. So you might try to find another source where the birds are truly red. When they first came out a lot of people bred them to Gold-laced Wyandottes to the detriment of the mahogany gene's expression IMO.

 

[Rlmp817]

Looks like three Blue-laced Reds (trio - one cockerel and two pullets) and then two Splash that are also pullets. They look really gold/light versus red/mahogany. So you might try to find another source where the birds are truly red. When they first came out a lot of people bred them to Gold-laced Wyandottes to the detriment of the mahogany gene's expression IMO.[/QUOTE
Thanks for helping identify! I am limited to my options of obtaining chicks right now. I am not in the quarantine area, but no one is allowed to ship hatching eggs or chicks in or out. So this season I may experiment with what I have and get better stock moving forward.

Thanks for helping identify! I am limited to my options of obtaining chicks right now. I am not in the quarantine area, but no one is allowed to ship hatching eggs or chicks in or out. So this season I may experiment with what I have and get better stock moving forward.