Color Genetics Question!

[Cimmaron]

I am getting ready to incubate some White American Bresse eggs. unfortunately the weather is not cooperating and has been to cold to move some of my other hens to their summer housing. I am worried about the breeds accidentally crossing. It's no big deal if I end up with a few "barnyard mixes"; but since I sell chicks I want to make sure I can recognize any crosses right away so they aren't accidentally sold as purebreds...

The two breeds that I can't differentiate from the Bresse by egg color are Buff Orpingtons and Splash White Andalusians.

So does anyone know what color I will get if a buff crosses with a white chicken?

And with the splash Andalusians: they will always pass on one copy of the blue gene, but would the blue show over the white, or could it get masked by the white gene giving me a white looking chick?

The only roosters in this pen are white Bresse.

 

[NatJ]

I am getting ready to incubate some White American Bresse eggs. unfortunately the weather is not cooperating and has been to cold to move some of my other hens to their summer housing. I am worried about the breeds accidentally crossing. It's no big deal if I end up with a few "barnyard mixes"; but since I sell chicks I want to make sure I can recognize any crosses right away so they aren't accidentally sold as purebreds...

The two breeds that I can't differentiate from the Bresse by egg color are Buff Orpingtons and Splash White Andalusians.

So does anyone know what color I will get if a buff crosses with a white chicken?

And with the splash Andalusians: they will always pass on one copy of the blue gene, but would the blue show over the white, or could it get masked by the white gene giving me a white looking chick?

The only roosters in this pen are white Bresse.

Do you know if the Bresse have dominant white or recessive white?

If they have recessive white, the mixed chicks will not be white, so they should be easy to spot.

But if the Bresse have Dominant White, the mixed chicks will also be white. The mixed chicks might have some spots of black or blue (paint), but they might be solid white. You would probably notice the ones with spots, but not the solid white ones.

It's no big deal if I end up with a few "barnyard mixes"; but since I sell chicks I want to make sure I can recognize any crosses right away so they aren't accidentally sold as purebreds...

The two breeds that I can't differentiate from the Bresse by egg color are Buff Orpingtons and Splash White Andalusians.

If you do not know what kind of white the Bresse have, do you have other hens in the pen, that lay eggs you can identify?

If yes, maybe set a few of those eggs too, but put them in mesh bags or baskets for hatching. When they hatch, look at the chicks: colored chicks would prove your Bresse rooster has recessive white, and that will mean you can recognize the other crosses too. (This test would work with most other colors of hen, but there are a few exceptions, including all-white ones and ones with Dominant White-- like White Laced Reds or white tailed Red Sexlinks.)

If you have previously hatched Bresse-mix chicks, their color (or lack of color) might give the answer, without having to do a test this time.

Alternately, maybe you can pen up the Buff Orpingtons and the Splash Andalusians for a few days while you collect eggs for hatching (maybe use a dog crate or similar.) That would let you hatch only purebreds in this clutch.

 

[Cimmaron]

Do you know if the Bresse have dominant white or recessive white?

If they have recessive white, the mixed chicks will not be white, so they should be easy to spot.

But if the Bresse have Dominant White, the mixed chicks will also be white. The mixed chicks might have some spots of black or blue (paint), but they might be solid white. You would probably notice the ones with spots, but not the solid white ones.


If you do not know what kind of white the Bresse have, do you have other hens in the pen, that lay eggs you can identify?

If yes, maybe set a few of those eggs too, but put them in mesh bags or baskets for hatching. When they hatch, look at the chicks: colored chicks would prove your Bresse rooster has recessive white, and that will mean you can recognize the other crosses too. (This test would work with most other colors of hen, but there are a few exceptions, including all-white ones and ones with Dominant White-- like White Laced Reds or white tailed Red Sexlinks.)

If you have previously hatched Bresse-mix chicks, their color (or lack of color) might give the answer, without having to do a test this time.

Alternately, maybe you can pen up the Buff Orpingtons and the Splash Andalusians for a few days while you collect eggs for hatching (maybe use a dog crate or similar.) That would let you hatch only purebreds in this clutch.

I just did some research and while the blue/black/splash colors of Bresse also carry the recessive white gene, white Bresse like I have are normally dominant white. It sounds like penning up the other breeds for a few days is the best option. Thank you for your help!