Is 'Snowy' just a fancy way of saying 'White'?

[xxSonja]

Or is there a pattern, feather, specific difference?
Just checking...

 

[rollyard]

No, snowy isn't white. A genetically white bird has two recessive white genes (c/c) which either inhibit pigments (pheomelanin & eumelanin) from getting into the feather, or, inhibit pigment production, so you end up with a bird that has no colour ie white (no pigments so no pattern/colour). That doesn't mean that a white can't also carry the same genes as a snowy though, for eg, a snowy would be md/md, li^h/li^h (or M+/M+, li^h/li^h, depending on school of thought)) while a white "could be" md/md, li^h/li^h, c/c!

Snowies don't have recessive white (@ least not homozygous, although it is possible for hetero white to be hiding in some birds depending on how they have been made?). I think most of the snowies in your part of the world are harlequin phased duskies, although some sources do suggest harlequin phased wild-type mallards? The recessive harlequin gene (homozygous) restricts much pigmentation (variable) resulting in birds with a lot of white, but pigment/pattern does remain.

I am not familiar with them, but do understand the genetics behind both. Some one else (CityChicker) may come along & help further who knows far more.

Edited as I just noticed "your part of the world" is like mine, so please disregard it. Do we have Snowies here? They aren't in the current standard from what I can see? Our m^d/m^d, li^h/li^h have the hobby name "silvers" or "harlequin" I thought? Maybe something in the calls?

Cheers

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

My snowy call ducks:

 

[rollyard]

chic-n-farmer, yours look pretty good to me (colour-wise) & they are duskies ie m^d/m^d, li^h/li^h.

Cheers

 

[CityChicker]

As always, Ross is right on with the color information. Yours are pretty typical for US Snowies, chic-n-farmer. White is a different color altogether, but Snowies can have a lot of white. That is one of the challenges of breeding this color, especially the hens. Some can have almost solid white bodies, with only modestly shaded heads. Yours are more the norm though for color, chic-n-farmer. They are pretty easily distinguishable from white.

 

[smalewaterfowl]

when breeding them, try them to whites and greys....i have done so and have had some good success adding type and bodies to them.
take the forsaid offspring and breed them back and u get snowys.

something to tinker with if u have the time and patience.

 

[Senna95]

Theoretically, the offspring of a grey/snowy cross will only be 1/16 true snowy, since it involves 2 recessive genes. And that's assuming that neither father or mother carries any other hidden recessive genes such as "c" for white.

 

[CityChicker]

Editing my post to sound nicer, LOL...

Yes, I agree, don't breed them to Grey or White if at all possible. If you did, you would be basically breeding a ton of birds that would just be culls. The more direct route to go would be to just breed from existing Snowies and cull from there.

 

[xxSonja]

Thanks all

thats a bit of an information overload but its great, ill have to read it again i think tho to get my head around it. I think i get it.

 

[Senna95]

Just read my post again, and maybe it wasn't quite clear:

The offspring of grey x snowy will look like greys, but they will carry the 2 recessive genes that make snowy (harlequin and dusky (though dusky is arguably not quite recessive..........). None of the offspring should show the snowy patern.

If you breed their offspring together you will get a mixed bag, but only one in 16 will be true snowy.

This is all assuming that there aren't any "hidden" recessive genes in the original greys or snowies, which could pop up in the first generation, but more likely the second, and make things really confusing.

Correct me if I'm wrong genetics people......