Color genetics thread.

Pics
Australi
uh, definitely not.  nothing about him looks even vaguely like an araucana; comb is completely wrong, he appears to have a tassel, and also a beard, certainly has a tail, shape is wrong, even his skin colour is wrong (white versus yellow).
australian and british standards accept both types of araucana to be honest over here they look more like ameracanas with a small crest. But tufted and rumpless are also accepted but rarely bred here in oz
 
He is part of a c
what kind of project?  yes, project birds can fall far from the standard, but are usually IDed as being a project; at least until they have a fair amount of breed conformity.  Getting the best of the best may be a 1 in 1000 proposition, but getting birds that are breed standard are pretty much a given if both parents conform.
He is part of a cuckoo araucana project. We asked for colour info as we are wanting to try to figure out his colouring. We are aware of the araucana standards though thank you. I gave araucana as a short answer to a longer story. Tjink what you like about the bird...what colour is he? Dont know? Scroll on.
 
No worries...he's pretty adorable either way...I really love that color. New colors are where the money is in poultry..or any animal for the matter...
we are both into the cuckoos and creles because we love them. It doesnt hurt that they are easy to shift though lol. They are just stunners
 
hes in with black and cuckoo hens. Only black and cuckoo chicks so far. They are about 3 mths old. No colour leakage as far as im aware. this ones mine. The result of a cuckoo roo over wheaten hen. What is this classed as?


3 months is still young, though. A very common problem with culling out leakys from black project is the color can come in much later, and a genetically leaky hen can be solid black but she will throw leaky sons and a few daughters. Those sneaky hens are the tricky part. Leaky roosters usually will show some color, it can be barely there, just a tiny area on the hackle and/or the wing bow area and with those minimal leakers they can hide that until 6-8 months or even past a year. That is why some show breeders have a rule for breeding only from 1-2 year old birds- after their fullest maturity has been achieved.

The basic problem is there is not a single gene that makes for a totally black chicken. The two common "mostly black" genes are called E- extended black and ER- birchen. Then you need to pile on helper genes that make more black pigment and cover up the 'leak areas' and you finally have a solid black.

It would help a lot to breed the barreds/cuckoos to solid black birds for this reason..

I don't know your localized terminology for e+... the wild red junglefowl color. In the states it is called red duckwing.. in some countries it is called partridge(in states partridge is another gene also called dark brown.. hobby is horrible with consistent terminology).

Crele is barring on a clean red duckwing, no other mutant genes added. You can make a crele looking rooster on wheaten, the hens will look nothing like true crele hens, and often you are very hard pressed to tell if a particular wheaten hen has the barring or not.. sometimes you can guess by her tail being grayer or maybe a vague hint of bar on the primaries or on a random feather somewhere.

Your picture above is simply a 'mixed color'. He does have the duckwing patch which shows the cuckoo used was not pure for black. He may have the Co gene which could explain why he has the buff coloring all over his body. True crele breasts on roosters are solid black with white barring. If you want to use him and only have access to wheatens, use him over PURE wheaten, no Co, no Mh, no nothing else to mess up the pattern.
 
3 months is still young, though.  A very common problem with culling out leakys from black project is the color can come in much later, and a genetically leaky hen can be solid black but she will throw leaky sons and a few daughters. Those sneaky hens are the tricky part.  Leaky roosters usually will show some color, it can be barely there, just a tiny area on the hackle and/or the wing bow area and with those minimal leakers they can hide that until 6-8 months or even past a year.  That is why some show breeders have a rule for breeding only from 1-2 year old birds- after their fullest maturity has been achieved.

The basic problem is there is not a single gene that makes for a totally black chicken.  The two common "mostly black" genes are called E- extended black and ER- birchen.  Then you need to pile on helper genes that make more black pigment and cover up the 'leak areas' and you finally have a solid black. 

It would help a lot to breed the barreds/cuckoos to solid black birds for this reason.. 

I don't know your localized terminology for e+... the wild red junglefowl color.  In the states it is called red duckwing.. in some countries it is called partridge(in states partridge is another gene also called dark brown.. hobby is horrible with consistent terminology).

Crele is barring on a clean red duckwing, no other mutant genes added.  You can make a crele looking rooster on wheaten, the hens will look nothing like true crele hens, and often you are very hard pressed to tell if a particular wheaten hen has the barring or not.. sometimes you can guess by her tail being grayer or maybe a vague hint of bar on the primaries or on a random feather somewhere.

Your picture above is simply a 'mixed color'.  He does have the duckwing patch which shows the cuckoo used was not pure for black.   He may have the Co gene which could explain why he has the buff coloring all over his body.  True crele breasts on roosters are solid black with white barring.  If you want to use him and only have access to wheatens, use him over PURE wheaten, no Co, no Mh, no nothing else to mess up the pattern.
i am not in possesion of a pure black hen. My black girl throws partridge chicks. I have a red wheaten and it looks like the chicks ive got from that pairing are all red wheaten.i did get 2 cuckoos im assuming are from my black born with red on their heads though and one has some mossiness on her feathers as well so leakers for sure. I also got a nice clean cuckoo boy from my blue hen and a blue barred as well. Although the blues barring is barely visible.that roo in the pic is from a cuckoo dad and wheaten mum.
 
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i am not in possesion of a pure black hen. My black girl throws partridge chicks. I have a red wheaten and it looks like the chicks ive got from that pairing are all red wheaten.i did get 2 cuckoos im assuming are from my black born with red on their heads though and one has some mossiness on her feathers as well so leakers for sure. I also got a nice clean cuckoo boy from my blue hen and a blue barred as well. Although the blues barring is barely visible.that roo in the pic is from a cuckoo dad and wheaten mum.

Wheaten as in solid black breasts on the roosters?

Solid blue works as solid black as they are actually solid blacks with the blue gene diluting the blue to grey. Would use her if solid cuckoos are one of the goals.

Also by pure black I mean the individual bird's coloration. As in solid colored. If it is solid black, no brown or white anywhere on neck/hackles/body it is useful for a solid cuckoo project, even if that bird also throws partridges.. because the solid black bird is showing it has the necessary genes for making a solid black.
 
Wheaten as in solid black breasts on the roosters?

Solid blue works as solid black as they are actually solid blacks with the blue gene diluting the blue to grey.  Would use her if  solid cuckoos are one of the goals.

Also by pure black I mean the individual bird's coloration. As in solid colored.  If it is solid black, no brown or white anywhere on neck/hackles/body it is useful for a solid cuckoo project, even if that bird also throws partridges.. because the solid black bird is showing it has the necessary genes for making a solid black.
yes that wheaten. Yes i think 2 of the cuckoos are from her one has mossy colouring though. One of the cuckoos ( the male and best marked by far) is from my blue pullet. He has beautiful clean clear barring. Unfortunately like her he is undercrested though no doubt i can correct this next gen
 
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Can someone hopefully help me figure out this guys color codes?




And any hint on if mixing him with another CL hybrid, a Cuckoo Maran, a Blue Andalusian, or a silver laced wyandotte would make sexlink chicks? He is a mix but he did have the spot on his head, his dad is CL/mom unknown.
 

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