Black Skin Genetic Question

[Wolf-Kim]

Does anyone know the genetic nature of black skin? Is it dominant, recessive, or much more complicated? Luck of the draw maybe?

Thanks!

-Kim

 

[tiki244]

everything in genetics is much more complicated!!

seriously I will try to find something on this

 

[silkiechicken]

I think it's pretty dominate, but since I don't think skin color is determined by just one set of alleles, it can get diluted.

I just know for sure, the F1 cross with a silkie always has black skin and will usually have the 5th toe.

 

[tiki244]

Have you tried here?

http://backyardchickens.yuku.com

I tried looking up but there is a lot of info there and I am kinda busy now,,,,,,dont even know why I am on the computer

just had to see what yous were all up to

Good luck

 

[Kev]

dominant but interacts/affected by many other genes. Id and sex linked barring strongly represses it. Even feather color often have some effect, either by diluting or enchanting the "darkness" of skin.

 

[seriousbill]

Yeah, tiki's right, it's always complicated. But you may be referring to the gene that makes birds fibromelanotic? Fm, the deep-black "silkie" gene. And Kev's right; it is dominant. And, also right as rain on the impact of other genes.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I was just curious about the skin. I was "playing" with the idea of a cross and I just wondered whether the skin color would pass on in the F1s. It's affects on the other genes are not an issue.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it!

-Kim

 

[Kev]

It's more the other way around, the black skin(Fm) will pass on.. however how much of it will express in the chick depends on the other genes. For example a bird pure for both Fm and sex linked barring will almost always have perfectly normal looking skin, although often they will show a thin line around the eyelid which looks like mascara.

It's surprisingly hard to get a bird with good deep black skin(dusky, sooty or gray skin is pretty easy).. especially on roosters. Still trying to figure out the little details.. especially as my stock are naked necks and those REALLY show if a bird doesn't have all the desired traits for dark skin..

Would love to be in touch with any others working with Fm/dark skins..

 

[tnkinhunting]

I have Showgirl roo's crossed with a white sizzle and a black sizzle. The black hen has a great hatch rate with a frizzle roo of mine but when I paired her with one of the showgirls, I had several black Showgirls that died in the shell and one that made it out and lived a week fairly perky and then just died. Is there a possibility of a lethal gene? This same black hen with the same roo produced a white showgirl and several others with pink skin.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
I'll keep in touch with you, if you'd like.

I'm thinking of breeding the silkies to a larger yellow-skinned chicken, but would like black skinned offspring. That is if I decide to attempt the project, I am not quite sure if I will or not.

I enjoy thinking of and even planning how to do breeding projects. I'll probably give this one a try on a small scale and see how it goes.

-Kim