Chick color ("didn't expect that" cross post)

[kopeck]

First off I apologies for the double post but this does seem like the better place to ask.

For the first time I incubated and hatched eggs from my own flock! I've had my incubator for a while now and have used it a handful of times but usually on eggs that came from other folks or on my guinea fowl.

My flock it s barn yard mix, a couple of RIRs, the rest being mutts of all colors and patters. My rooster was (he found a new home recently due to attitude problems) a Lavender Ameraucana. Part of the fun of barn yard mixes is seeing what you are going to get, well after my hatch I was surprised to say the least...every chick ended up being black!

So...what would cause that? I know the lavender color includes black in it but is black a dominant gene? Most have just a slight light patch on their chins but other then that they're all jet black.

It's going to be fun to see how they turn out, I'm also curious to see what I end up with as far a egg color goes. All my hens are brown egg layers.

K

 

[Chris09]

Most any color crossed with Lavender (Self Blue) will produce Black first generation offspring.
As for egg color of the female offspring, they should lay eggs in shades of Green.


Chris

 

[Illia]

Like said, nearly anything crossed with Lavender just makes black. The reason being because Lavender is recessive, and it is based off E/E extended black which when crossed with most any color will produce mostly black offspring. The only way to change it up is by adding in genes like dun, splash, or blue to get said genes, or by crossing a really well marked bird like laced birds, then you'll get just a tad more color in the black offspring than normal.

 

[nicalandia]

The only way to change it up is by adding in genes like dun, splash, or blue to get said genes,

you forgot about Dominant white and sex link chocolate(only hens if a choc roo is used over a lavender hen)

 

[Illia]

I forgot others too, I was just using examples.

 

[nicalandia]

I forgot others too, I was just using examples.

I know...

 

[kopeck]

That's really interesting.

Thanks for the info. My appreciation for those of you who try and establish new colors is really up there. Keeping all that straight...I'm sure if I sat down and really did my homework I could figure it out, right it's over my head.

K

 

[nicalandia]

.I'm sure if I sat down and really did my homework I could figure it out, right it's over my head.

K

at this stage I do it on the fly... its like breathing

 

[n8ivetxn]

I wish I could do that, but it's like math - not my forte! However, I do appreciate those that have the gift!

 

[chickenlover237]

cool!