Has anyone crossed a Black Spanish with a Bronze?

[alogue5173]

I know everyone says Bronze Broad breasted turkeys cannot successfully mate. I have witnessed my tom mating with my hen and poults to show for it. I have recently hatched out several poults and am going to put more eggsin the incubator in the next day or two. The poults basically look like Black Spanish poults but with less yellow on their heads. I was wondering if anyone else has crossed these two breeds and what the young wound up looking like???

 

[ivan3]

BB hens can, indeed be bred (as you've pointed out) but not, as a rule, to BB toms (without `assistance'). What was the sire/dam?

You might try posting in genetics section. And post up poult pics here and there.

 

[Haida]

I have a Standard Bronze tom with three Spanish Black hens as well as another Standard Bronze hen. However, my babies ALL look like Spanish Blacks! I haven't seen any Standard Bronze babies yet! I'm kinda wondering what's going on... hmmm... I did have one poult that I knew was a hybrid, but unfortunately, it died. It looked just like a Spanish Black poult, but instead of black feathers, they were a lovely chocolate brown.

But what you said makes me feel a little bit better. I thought my poults had some irregular markings on their heads as well as some very white stripes/splotches on their wings, even though their bodies are totally black. I can get pictures tonight, though.

 

[alogue5173]

My Tom is a bronze (but wether standard or BB I haven't a clue...I'm guessing standard since he is not overly heavy and apparently is able to make. I have sucessfully hatched out six eggs laid by my Black Spanish Hen. Five of the poults looked exactly like black spanish poults. The sixth looks pretty much like a bronze poult. I guess I was surprised because they weren't mixed up looking but looked like one or the other parent. I have already sold all of the black poults but I will take a pic of the bronze looking poult tonight. Wondering what they are going to look like as adults???

 

[Haida]

Okay, I know these are like the worst pictures ever, but I think/hope they're clear enough to help me describe the poults.





The first picture is of all the white on his/her wings... I know sometimes Spanish Blacks have white mottling, but this seems excessive... if I can get my hubby to hold the camera, I might be able to spread the wings so I can show you better. Only seems to be white at the end of the wing, and they're ALL like that. Second picture is of all the white on his/her chest... again, I know they usually have white bellies, but there seems to be a lot of white down? IDK... Then the 3rd picture is the whole poult... yup, looks like a Spanish Black to me, but I'm pretttttttttty sure his/her dad was a Bronze!

Only time will tell, I guess, but I'm not sure how I'd get a full Spanish Black poult! Unless my hens are magical or something... lol! Oh well, I hear turkey genetics are pretty crazy.

Edited to add:
I just noticed a new thread in the Turkey section, someone was showing off their poults and they're 100% Spanish Black... they look nothing like mine! I might have me some actual hybrids!! Woo!!!

 

[alogue5173]

[/IMG][/IMG]Here is my bronze/ black spanish hybrid chick... Will post pics as it grows

 

[Haida]

Wow! Ours look so different! I'll take pics as mine grows, too!!

 

[alogue5173]

Here is my bronze/ black spanish hybrid chick... Will post pics as it grows

 

[Lagerdogger]

Here is why your bronze cross blacks all look black.

There are three base colors in turkeys. Black, bronze, and black-winged bronze, written as B, b, and b1. The black base, B, is dominant. The bronze base is recessive to black, and black-winged bronze is recessive to both. Genes come in pairs, so a black turkey has two black bases, BB. A bronze turkey has two bronze bases, bb. When crossed, each parent contributes a base color gene, so all the offspring get one black and one bronze base, Bb. Because B is dominant, they all look like black turkeys.

Why then does alogue get a bronze? Because alogue's black turkey is not BB, but Bb. The black parent has already been crossed with a bronze, and carries a bronze gene. In this case, half of the black turkeys offspring will get a black gene, and half will get a bronze gene. Since the other parent is bronze and only contributes bronze genes, half the poults are Bb and look black, and half the poults are Bb, and are bronze.

 

[Haida]

Here is why your bronze cross blacks all look black.

There are three base colors in turkeys. Black, bronze, and black-winged bronze, written as B, b, and b1. The black base, B, is dominant. The bronze base is recessive to black, and black-winged bronze is recessive to both. Genes come in pairs, so a black turkey has two black bases, BB. A bronze turkey has two bronze bases, bb. When crossed, each parent contributes a base color gene, so all the offspring get one black and one bronze base, Bb. Because B is dominant, they all look like black turkeys.

Why then does alogue get a bronze? Because alogue's black turkey is not BB, but Bb. The black parent has already been crossed with a bronze, and carries a bronze gene. In this case, half of the black turkeys offspring will get a black gene, and half will get a bronze gene. Since the other parent is bronze and only contributes bronze genes, half the poults are Bb and look black, and half the poults are Bb, and are bronze.

Hi Lagerdogger! I read a thread about a year ago or so that you started about turkey genes. It was very well written and informative, but I think I ought to go back and read it.

I was kind of thinking that the black gene is dominant, but I wasn't sure. Thanks for pointing that out!

I need to get new pictures, they look different every day. Now they're starting to get a little bit of grey in their feathers, which is interesting. Turk genes are so neat.