How complicated is the celadon gene.

[EmmaRainboe]

Newbie here, never owned quail before, but in the process of preparing.

So I’m interested in getting into Celadon in the future.

I will probably begin with non celadon though. So this is a bit away.

But I’m wondering how complicated the celadon gene is? Is it a recessive gene?

If so, would a female who lays celadon automatically have two celadon genes?

And for males, I assume test breeding would be in order to confirm/deny two celadon genes.

If you bred a possible homozygous celadon male to a known homozygous female, if any offsprings didn’t lay celadon then the male would be known to be heterozygous correct?

Can celadon still appear with only one celadon gene?

And do two celadon genes cut out the possibility for whatever genes cause non celadon coturnix eggs?

Or can a bird be homozygous for celadon but still carry whatever genes cause the other eggs?

Stupid questions, I know. Feel free to laugh, thanks!

 

[Pyxis]

But I’m wondering how complicated the celadon gene is? Is it a recessive gene?

Yes, it's autosomal recessive.

If so, would a female who lays celadon automatically have two celadon genes?

Correct.

And for males, I assume test breeding would be in order to confirm/deny two celadon genes.

If you bred a possible homozygous celadon male to a known homozygous female, if any offsprings didn’t lay celadon then the male would be known to be heterozygous correct?

Yep, that's right.

Can celadon still appear with only one celadon gene?

Oddly enough, I actually HAVE had a heterozygous hen lay a bluish egg when she first started laying. Then she laid normal colored eggs.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Yes, it's autosomal recessive.



Correct.




Yep, that's right.




Oddly enough, I actually HAVE had a heterozygous hen lay a bluish egg when she first started laying. Then she laid normal colored eggs.

These two hens hatched out of blue celadon eggs. The first lays a lightly speckled egg, almost like a celadon, but without blue on the outside. The second lays fairly blue eggs with a “normal” amount of speckles (not great pic & they were definitely more blue when she just started laying), I included one of her eggs from when she forgot to put on brown paint to show that they aren’t just white.

(Her first egg is the blue one here)
The inside shells of both of these hens’ eggs are extremely blue. Since they have to be heterozygous I do think that you can sometimes tell a hen is het when her eggs are faintly blue or very blue on the inside.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

So how does one breed for a better and brighter blue? Just keep breeding your hens with the brightest eggs?

 

[FloorCandy]

So how does one breed for a better and brighter blue? Just keep breeding your hens with the brightest eggs?

Yes, you would hatch the eggs that most closely resemble what your goal is, and you will start seeing more conformity in the eggs over several generations.

 

[Quailchickenpigeon]

very hard

 

[FloorCandy]

View attachment 2627724
These two hens hatched out of blue celadon eggs. The first lays a lightly speckled egg, almost like a celadon, but without blue on the outside. The second lays fairly blue eggs with a “normal” amount of speckles (not great pic & they were definitely more blue when she just started laying), I included one of her eggs from when she forgot to put on brown paint to show that they aren’t just white. View attachment 2627730
(Her first egg is the blue one here)
The inside shells of both of these hens’ eggs are extremely blue. Since they have to be heterozygous I do think that you can sometimes tell a hen is het when her eggs are faintly blue or very blue on the inside.

Many people speculate that blue inside eggs are from het hens. I haven’t found definitive scientific evidence, but I also had several blue inside eggs in my Myshire snowies, and when I crossed all birds from that hatch to my homozygous celadons, I did get some blue layers, so it seems to hold up, but I didn’t track who came out of which egg, so I can’t say for sure. But you can tell which egg is which by candling:

Normal

Blue inside

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It's not too hard once you know how to do it. It's much harder though if you're aiming for particular colors of birds that require outcrossing to normal eggs

 

[muddy75]

I collected 7 more eggs at egg-thirty......I numbered them.....wonder if they’ll fit????

 

[FloorCandy]

I collected 7 more eggs at egg-thirty......I numbered them.....wonder if they’ll fit????

If not, hold them and candle in a few days and see if you have duds you can kick to the curb.