Color genetics thread.

[Chicken5555]

@moving coops
DNA is like a thousand piece 3-D puzzle. It's fun though.

 

[moving coops]

How do you breed to try and get two copies of black?

 

[moving coops]

And because you see the red coming out then that is why you get to say she is only carrying one black?

 

[moving coops]

Now when you crossed this splash with wheaten you never at all expected black you always knew it would be blue just not with the red!

 

[moving coops]

So can a splash then have two black and only one blue?

 

[Chicken5555]

How do you breed to try and get two copies of black?

breed two birds together that have at least one copy of black. then you have to test breed the offspring (these offspring are called F1) to a bird with NO black. if half the chicks are black, you have only one copy of black in the F1 parent. if 100% of the chicks are black, then the F1 parent has 2 copies.

And because you see the red coming out then that is why you get to say she is only carrying one black?

Yes, that's right.

Now when you crossed this splash with wheaten you never at all expected black you always knew it would be blue just not with the red!

That's right. Since the hen is splash, that means it has two copies of blue. She gave one copy to each of the offspring, so all chicks would get one copy of blue from the hen.... one copy of blue = blue
The rooster does not have any blue to give to the chicks.
The red chicks come from chicks that don't get the black gene that the mom has.

So can a splash then have two black and only one blue?

Black is the base color. A chicken can have two, one or none. The number of genes for black is not connected to the number of genes of blue.

one or two black genes = black
no black genes = not black

black (one or two black genes) + one blue gene = blue
black (one or two black genes) + two blues = splash
non black (zero copies of black) + any number of blue = not black, blue or splash

 

[moving coops]

Lost me on the third on, lol. Sorry I am trying hard. And all the little ones keep coming up to me to ask questions!

Blame it on pregnancy brain of #14. Lol

 

[Chicken5555]

@moving coops

I totally understand. Don't feel bad. Sometimes visuals help. This chart assumes that the parent have two copies of black. The blue gene is added separately from the black gene... sort of like adding creamer to coffee I suppose.

birds on the left are parents, birds on the right represent the colors of chicks you'll get.

 

[Chicken5555]

Just about everything I know about chicken genetics, I've learned from wappoke and junebuggena. They are so smart!

 

[moving coops]

See I understand that chart but when you say no blacks plus any number of blues won't get you black, blue or splash! Just meaning when you cross a blue with a non black chicken you loose all black, blue and splash and just get some other color.

You have helped a lot and so thankful!

Did you see my other thread of Lavendar Orps crossing?