Creating the Lavender Gene

[tothemoon]

I have some waterfowl that currently has only buff and gray colors. I am wanting to create a lavender color and was wondering what colors I need to breed to the current colors to start creating this project. Thank you for any support you can provide!

 

[The Moonshiner]

You can't create the lavender color.
To get lavender you have to use a bird that has lavender.

 

[Bo Garrett]

I am not certain the self blue gene exists in ducks, it does in geese. Go to the Holderread Waterfowl website and contact Dave, he is a waterfowl genetics expert and has written many books and standards for waterfowl plus he is the one who made the Lavender American Goose.

Blessings,

Bo

 

[Amer]

@The Moonshiner is correct, you cannot create lavender. If you mean geese, either buy lavender geese (probably easier) or breed two blue geese (like Steinbachers) together. 25 percent of them will be lavender, the goose equivalent of splash. It breeds true. 50 percent will be blue and 25 percent will be grey.
If you are speaking of “silver” the duck equivalent of splash, the same thing goes. I don’t know if you want bibs, but if you do, use blue Swedish, or buy silver Swedish. Or use blue-bibbed Calls.
If you do not want them, the only breed with ready-available non-bibbed blues are Runners, known as Cumberland Blue Runners.
Or, you can use a “recessive blue” Mallard or Call, which is the duck equivalent of lavender. Unfortunately, these are extremely rare, and the only ones I’ve seen are mallard-based.