Blue, Black, Splash genetics question

[Yard full o' rocks]

I am currently "growing up" some Blue, Black an Splash Rocks from Halo, as well as some Columbian rocks. Ideally, I would like to have ONLY Blue rocks. With that in mind, I noticed that a Columbian Roo over Blue hen yields Blue and Black and Columbian over Splash yields only Blue. If I am trying to minimize the number of Roos I have, will this cross work long term, or will the Columbian "mess up" the Blue, Black and Splash genetics over time? THANKS

 

[Krys109uk]

The columbian will be 'on' a different gene to the blues causing the colour genes to be 'impure'. If you are just wanting to breed blues this is not a good plan. However, if you are planning to make blue columbians you are already part of the way there.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Yes, because of the nature of the blue gene, you cannot have only blue birds and only blue offspring. If your breeder birds are black and splash, you can get 100% blue offspring, but I don;t think that is what you want, and it will not carry through to subsequent generations.

Your choices for only blue are changing to self-blue (lavender), which is a different gene, or finding somewhere to acquire smokey, yet another gene.

Blue is an incompletely dominant gene, meaning that one copy gives an intermediate appearance as compared with two copies versus zero copies.

With zero copies, all balc pigment in hte bird remains black. With one copy, all black pigment is diluted to blue. With two copies, the blue is further diluted to splash.

You can think of one copy as being like adding a cup of bleach to your black load of laundry; and two copies as adding 2 cups of bleach and soaking for twice as long.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Silkies...thanks for the analogy...that really helps a newbie like me!! i did great in Biology in college, but, must have slept thru genetics.

So, you say YES, I can continue the blue coloring using the Columbian roo....do I understand your answer correctly? THANKS AGAIN

 

[Krys109uk]

If you want to breed blue black & splash (BBS) birds it is not a good idea to breed to columbians. Blue black & splash birds tend to be on an extended black base (E) have a different genotype & are usually on brown base (eb). A cross between BBor S & a columbian bird will give birds which are probably E/eb in the first generation if you go on to bred two of these birds together in the next generation you will get birds which are E/E, E/eb, eb/E, & eb/eb. The birds which are eb/eb which also inherit the columbian restrictor gene (Co) & Bl will be blue columbian & could be buff or silver depending upon which allele the BBS birds are carrying.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Ok, Krys, try again--I'm confused.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Yard, if you want blue columbians, then by all means continue using them, but if you want normal blues, using columbians will just mess up the genes, and will not prevent blacks and splashes.

 

[Krys109uk]

Ok, Krys, try again--I'm confused.

I noticed that a Columbian Roo over Blue hen yields Blue and Black and Columbian over Splash yields only Blue. If I am trying to minimize the number of Roos I have, will this cross work long term, or will the Columbian "mess up" the Blue, Black and Splash genetics over time?

The OP is asking whether it is a good idea to breed columbian Rocks with his blue, splash Rocks because he has done the cross & found that the offspring come out either blue & black or all blue. Well they would do, because eb (or eWh) is recessive to E & Co wouldn't show. But it is not a good plan in the long term as the crosses will be heterozygous at the e-locus & carrying Co.​

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Silkies/Krys

Thanks....I think maybe I just gotta build ANOTHER coop (DW will be upset, but, oh well).

Sounds like I need to keep the Columbians with the Columbians and the BBSs with the BBSs. Thought I had found a shortcut, but apparently not.

Thank you both for the advise....at least now I have a proper direction from those who understand this genetics stuff.

Thanks again

 

[Krys109uk]

If you put the blue pullets, which came from the crosses to columbians, in your columbian pen you ought to get some blue columbians in the next generation.