Black and White Chicks, how?

[athalia17]

I'm wondering how it's possible to get one black chick and one white chick from the same parents.

Mom: super blue egg layer from my pet chicken (mine looks like a larger traditional white leghorn with some crest on her head, all white- single large comb)

Dad: Blue orpington (almost a split blue with darker on top and lighter blue lacing on bottom).

If we got a white chick from them, wouldn't white be dominant? If so, how can there be a black chick then too? So confusing! Definitely not a light lavender... It's a creamy white, and the other is a very dark gray/black.

 

[The Moonshiner]

The hen has one dominate white gene but not the second so about half her offspring will get the dominate white gene and about half won't.
The half that get it will be your whites the half that didn't get it will not be white.

 

[athalia17]

Interesting! Thanks for that! Makes sense. I was just thinking dominant was dominant no matter what. So much to learn! :/

 

[lilmillefleur]

^^ x2. I agree with @The Moonshiner
They are super cute, congrats on the hatch!!

 

[athalia17]

Wait, so then will that white chick be half dominant too? Like, it could throw white chicks if bred to a dark bird?

 

[junebuggena]

Wait, so then will that white chick be half dominant too? Like, it could throw white chicks if bred to a dark bird?

Correct. Dominant white only needs one copy to express. In the same way, Blue only needs one copy to express. Both genes happen to be modifiers for black pigment only. The underlying pattern genetics of the parents are very nearly the same, even though they look very different.

 

[featherhead007]

^^ x2. I agree with @The Moonshiner
They are super cute, congrats on the hatch!!

They may be white, or black/blue,but cute for sure!

 

[ashlandco]

Agreed! Super cute