Black Birchen Marans x Blue and Splash Ameraucana Results?

[BluebirdHomestead]

Can I piggy bag on my original question?...So you say black is dominant over Birchen... is it dominant over most things?

At one level yes but another level not so much. At one location on the DNA there are five known basic possibilities, Extended Black, Birchen, Wheaten, Duckwing, and Partridge. I consider this the basic canvas where you start. Extended Black is dominant over all of the others.

Then it gets complicated. There are all kinds of modifying genes out there. Some genes, like Dominant White or the B/B/S genes, modify only Black. Others can change a red feather to black so there are ways to get a solid black chicken from any of these. Some dominant genes, like Barring, will modify any feather though you can't see barring on a truly white feather. Some Recessives can hide under whatever is there unless it pairs up. On and on and on. So, yes, Black is generally dominant but you never know what will actually happen when you breed chickens unless you are pretty sure of what genetics you are starting with. Then they do follow rules. But you can't always tell by looking.

Like for example is I crossed this little guy (EE aka mutt) with a blue ameraucana or a black Marans for example, would it be predictable that the offspring would be mostly bbs or is that not how it works because we don’t know what genes he’s hiding?

If you make those crosses I would expect the offspring to be basically Black or Blue, but I would expect a fair amount of leakage. You could get some real surprises too. You don't know for sure what the Black or Blue ens may be hiding.

Madelyn talked about leakage. I'll give a couple of examples. In theory this should be a solid black bird. But some gold leaked through.

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In theory these white cockerels should be solid white but you can see different stuff showing through. It can vary quite a bit.
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Is it terrible that I love the way that copper leakage looks? Haha thanks for helping me with all this info!!!

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Using EE or other unknown hybrids adds a "surprise" variable to it and you will then start getting leakage. Adding a red or a gold will make the Splash look dirty, the Blues will get a mossy tone to them, the clear/crisp colors will be diluted and you won't have a bird that looks like it has "breeding" behind it.

Adding in Barring though, that gets fun!

Technically this guy is a "strategized mutt" but I like to call him a Barred Blue Silver Olive Egger. 3 different breeds in there.
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Those barred girls behind him lay these...

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When you get into "dabbling" and hybridizing, you gotta take good notes and keep track of who was with who and who they made, in case you need to make it again or scrap it and avoid it in the future. Test hatches are important, as well as testing males for egg color by breeding them with a white layer and waiting all of that time for the daughters to lay.

Wow that barred guy is a stunner. Thank you for all this info. Gives me lots to think about.

 

[AlexandraF]

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is this accurate when crossing Marans with Ameraucanas still?

 

[YardMoa]

is this accurate when crossing Marans with Ameraucanas still?

Yes. Though you'll probably see some leakage as previous posters suggested to the OP. BBS, or blue, black, splash breeding is the same regardless of breed or feather pattern.

The exception would be if one of the birds was "self-blue" aka lavender. Similar gray colour, totally different genetics.