Choosing a drake for my Runner girls -Genetic question

[Koko Acres]

Hi, I’ve read the very detailed article on here about duck genetics but I am still confused. I have three Indian Runner females and I am going to be getting them a drake this week. One choice is a buff Runner and the other choice is a black Runner. I am afraid that if I choose the black one, then all of the offspring will be black. I was hoping for a variety of colors in the offspring, including black if possible. I’m wondering if I should just choose the buff Runner drake and add a black female instead. Showing a pic of my girls for reference. Thanks for your help!

 

[cheezenkwackers]

If the black drake is homozygous for black (has two black alleles), then yes, your offspring will be black or more likely, black spotted since your girls all have the runner pattern allele. Again, it depends if your girls have two of those or one. Both black and Runner Pattern are dominant traits so they can be hidding recessive traits and you can’t see it. But, if one of the black drake’s parents was not black. Then, he will be hiding other colors and you could get surprises. I would ask what his parents looked like.

If you go with the buff drake. He only has buff. In order to show a recessive trait you have to have two of that recessive alleles. Recessive traits can hide under dominant but never the other way around. So, I would think your offspring would look a lot like your females.

I hope this makes sense and helps.

 

[Koko Acres]

If the black drake is homozygous for black (has two black alleles), then yes, your offspring will be black or more likely, black spotted since your girls all have the runner pattern allele. Again, it depends if your girls have two of those or one. Both black and Runner Pattern are dominant traits so they can be hidding recessive traits and you can’t see it. But, if one of the black drake’s parents was not black. Then, he will be hiding other colors and you could get surprises. I would ask what his parents looked like.

If you go with the buff drake. He only has buff. In order to show a recessive trait you have to have two of that recessive alleles. Recessive traits can hide under dominant but never the other way around. So, I would think your offspring would look a lot like your females.

I hope this makes sense and helps.

That actually makes a lot of sense! So following that, let’s assume both of the black drake’s parents are black. They probably are since this guy came from a hatchery.. if I breed this black Drake to my females, all of the offspring will be black, HOWEVER, when those black offspring reproduce, if they have mated with a non black runner, then their offspring may or may not be black. Am I correct in this?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

That actually makes a lot of sense! So following that, let’s assume both of the black drake’s parents are black. They probably are since this guy came from a hatchery.. if I breed this black Drake to my females, all of the offspring will be black, HOWEVER, when those black offspring reproduce, if they have mated with a non black runner, then their offspring may or may not be black. Am I correct in this?

Yes! Mostly likely black and white spotted though, not solid black.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is what a Black Runner drake and a Fawn and white female produced.

 

[Koko Acres]

Yes! Mostly likely black and white spotted though, not solid black.

Thank you! I’m going to go for it.