Is it 'bad' to breed Black Blue Swedish??

[Bleenie]

I saw a little thing online but couldnt bring anymore up on it. is it frowned upon or 'bad' to breed black colored blue swedish?

will they produce more blacks that way since black is so dominant?

will there be any silvers or splashes from a black x blue combonation?

if anyone knows the percentages and stuff i'd appreciate it. im a little confused.

 

[Soccer Mom]

First: I am NOT an expert. My understanding that is in breeding two blues you get approximately 50% blue, 25% black and %25 splash or silver. Blue is a result of black and the Bl dilution genes being crossed. In theory, breeding black, back to splash or silver should still net you some blue ducks.

Ultimately it depends on what you are breeding for. Do you just want nice pets? Ducks you find pretty? Or are you intending to sell the blues or breeding for exhibition. It makes a difference in how you cull.

But short answer: Yes, blacks have a place in a blue breeding program, because the blues are really just a dilution of black. Blue is heterozygous (needs two different genes for that trait) whereas black and splash are both homozygous (both genes are the same for that trait.)

I hope that makes sense.

I also hope someone with greater knowledge will swing by and explain it better than I could.

 

[Bleenie]

Thanks Soccer Mom, it does make sense.

I was just thinking of getting another blue or black swede hen for my drake. basically for pets, but i am sure i will have to sell some of the babies later on.

anyone know what splash babies look like when theyre new??

ETA: what happens if you breed a splash to splash?

 

[wadek2008]

Blue X Blue = 50% Blue . 25% Black , 25% Splash
Blue X Splash = 50% Blue , 50% Splash
Blue X Black = 50% Blue, 50% Black
Splash X Black = 100% Blue
Black X Black = 100% Black
Splash X Splash = 100% Splash
This is how it usually works, at least in BLRW and Blue East Indies. I don't claim to be an expert in Swedish though, so if a breeder chimes in, of course, I defer to them.
I'm not sure about in Swedish, but I think splash is generally lighter than either blue or black when they've just hatched. Yellower, at least in BLRW.

 

[Soccer Mom]

Quote:
Splash(Bl) X splash(Bl) would result in splash (double dose of dilution gene Bl) and black X black=black (double dose of black gene) because they are homozygous. You can only get blue by breeding Splash (or silver or white) to black, or by breeding blue to blue.

My splash babies have been yellow with slightly darker splotches that darken over time. But they look mostly yellow. Sometimes they look like regular blues until they start feathering out. It's tough to tell. I'll see if I can scare up some pics of no one else has any.

ETA: Crossposted with wadek2008. Excellent way to explain it.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Many times breeders of blue birds, will use black birds as a foundation. It is believe that when black parent produces a blue offspring that the blue offspring is a usually higher quality blue than a blue offspring produced by two blue parents. Does that make sense?

Not too sure about particularly Swedes or ducks for that matter. I just no most people who breed high quality blue birds, use black foundations.

-Kim

 

[TK Poultry]

absolutly not you have to have black and blue and splash to make the others there are some stuck up people that tell you only breed blue birds well guess what they get black birds with that i have all three and i get all three my black drake won champion medium duck at our county fair out of a class of 20 and my splash drake got a first in that class so go for it i have one blue hen one splash drake and the rest are black and black is usually a very popular color and that is usually the foundation of a flock it was mine and still is