Genetics of Cream Legbar Color/Pattern?

[Naamahbengals]

Hi all. I was wondering about the genetics of the Cream Legbar coloring and pattern.

Say I was to cross a CL with black, white, blue and silkies to give the chicks blue egg genes. (For example.)

But I didn't like the color or pattern of a CL (and don't care about auto-sexing).

How hard would it be to breed out? Is the color (I assume 'Cream'?) dominant or recessive? What about the CL pattern (that sort-of-barred look)? Can I just select chicks without that color and pattern, and done? Or will I need to test breed and cull our pesky recessive genes over several generations?

 

[donrae]

If you don't want the barring or autosexing traits, why not use Ameraucanas?

If you don't want the color or pattern, I wouldn't introduce it to start with, it will take longer to breed out than just not starting with it

 

[Naamahbengals]

I think CLs have a more pure blue than Ameraucanas have. Also, CLs come in a single color, so I don't have to worry about what other recessives it carries, unlike Ameraucanas where they could be a variety of colors. I also don't want to introduce the tuffed cheeks of the Ameraucanas.

 

[tadkerson]

Hi all. I was wondering about the genetics of the Cream Legbar coloring and pattern.

Say I was to cross a CL with black, white, blue and silkies to give the chicks blue egg genes. (For example.)

But I didn't like the color or pattern of a CL (and don't care about auto-sexing).

How hard would it be to breed out? Is the color (I assume 'Cream'?) dominant or recessive? What about the CL pattern (that sort-of-barred look)? Can I just select chicks without that color and pattern, and done? Or will I need to test breed and cull our pesky recessive genes over several generations?

Cross a male silkie with a CL = F1 offspring that carry one blue egg gene (you must use a male silkie over female cl)

cross a male silkie over the F1 females= BC1 some blue egg laying hen silkies you can not just produce a few birds - cross birds and hatch eggs until you get what you want

The only problem I see is determining if the BC1 males you produce carry a blue egg gene. You will have to test cross them with a silkie- if some F1 pullets ( the roos offspring) lay a blue egg the roo carries a blue egg gene.

the cream gene will not be a problem with black , white or blue silkies

Once you have a positive tested male cross him with the blue egg laying silkies = some silkies that carry two blue egg genes, some that carry one blue egg gene and some that produce a non-blue egg

The major problem with the project is that the blue egg gene is closely linked to the single comb gene in the cl. To produce birds with two blue egg genes, the birds will have a rose comb and not a silkie modified walnut comb.

Do the same crossing as above but use black ameraucana pullets in the first for the best results.

Tim