buff and red genes

[TimG]

Hutt say in Genetics of the Fowl that "the genes that make buffs different in color from Rhode Island Reds have yet to be discovered". That was in the 1940s (I think). Is this still the case?

 

[Krys109uk]

More is known about buff these days.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Well buff is gold and there are red enhancer genes that make buff red or mahogony.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
I assumed that was the case. A quick summary?

 

[Henk69]

Buff is still a mystery, especially the genes that make the black go away.

Buff is a combination of the wildtype/gold groundcolor with red enhancers like mahogany (Mh) and diluters like Dilute (Di) and/or Cream (ig).
Champagne blond is also mentioned but poorly documented.
Buffs are often wheaten based which is the most permissive extension allele for red expression.

These factors and columbian-like restrictors like columbian (Co) and maybe darkbrown (Db) are enhancing and diluting the pigments into a more uniform buff mix. Leave one factor out and you get a different tint.

Finally some buffs contain dominant white or maybe even dun/khaki.
These can not be seen on a good buff animal for all the pattern is selected away.
Dominant white can have a typical effect on the buff color making it warm and yellow/gold looking. I have seen this in my hamburgh crosslings but not in my vorwerk crosslings. Hamburghs have darkbrown Db, vorwerks don't.

RIR should not have any form of red inhibition/dilution.
New hampshire is said to have additional dilute Di, although the tint is similar to gold breeds that have autosomal barring (darkbrown present).
I for one can imagine new hampshire to be without mahogany Mh and compensating dilute Di.

 

[hinkjc]

There is a great online book called Buff Coloration in Poultry by D.J. Honour that helps with understanding some more recent works with buff color. I have a print version, but I'll see if I can find the link for you.

 

[pinewoodacres]

Buff is a combination of the wildtype/gold groundcolor with red enhancers like mahogany (Mh) and diluters like Dilute (Di) and/or Cream (ig).

Is there any good way to tease this out in project birds? I’m working with Cream Legbars (ig) and Welsummers (Mh). There is barring involved which makes it a little more complex to figure out.

Do you believe there is a difference in expression with heterozygous ig and/or Mh? Some people say hetero Mh expresses the same as homo and some say a single copy of ig is visible with just less extreme expression as compared with two copies.

I’ve got 3 month olds and 4 week olds I’m trying to discern for the next step of my project. To boot, many of them are hypermelanated which is presenting in the crest and hackles mostly. And then some of them look like straight wild type just with the added crest. These are all second generation birds (F2 and different BC1). It’s turning out to be really neat to see how they develop. But I need to pare down my options and I wanted to see if I could create a buff line. Any advice?