If you want visuals & pictures, play with the chicken calculator that chicken stalker posted.
Select a variety, either using the pictures or selecting the variety name. Use the same variety for both genders. Change the alleles for ONE gene and see what that does, or doesn't do to the bird's appearance, and the genetic name for the variety. Then make the same change with the other gender and see if it affects that gender the same way, or differently.
See what happens when you change the alleles for a 2nd & 3rd gene, or just the 1st & 3rd or 2nd & 3rd. Or go back to the variety you started with and change a different gene. ...
No, you do not need to breed blacks to lavenders to get lavenders. However, for many breeds, lavender is not yet present in the birds, or it is present, but the quality of the birds still has a way to go.
So, if you need to improve type or breed features, you could theoretically choose any bird that has those in abundance.
Let's take the example of choosing a partridge bird. This bird is perfect--exactly the correct colouring, type, toes, comb, you name it-the bird is perfect. When you breed that perfect bird to a lavender, the offspring's type and features such as comb, toes, etc., will probably be better than their lavender parent. BUT, they will also inherit the primary patterns of head, shoulder hackle & saddle colour (if male), or the secondary pattern or double laced penciling if female. You stepped sideways rather than advancing towards the standard--you improved one set of traits, but drastically hurt others.
Black is a solid base colour that is unlikely to throw primary or secondary patterns into the mix. If you want lavender partridge (or lavender cuckoo, or lavender ...), bu all means, breed to that patterned bird. But is you want solid coloured lavenders, you need to breed to a solid coloured bird.
White won't work because 1) it hides colours and patterns & 2) dominant white will take prescedence, and hide the lavender, except in the parts of the bird where it is leaky.
Select a variety, either using the pictures or selecting the variety name. Use the same variety for both genders. Change the alleles for ONE gene and see what that does, or doesn't do to the bird's appearance, and the genetic name for the variety. Then make the same change with the other gender and see if it affects that gender the same way, or differently.
See what happens when you change the alleles for a 2nd & 3rd gene, or just the 1st & 3rd or 2nd & 3rd. Or go back to the variety you started with and change a different gene. ...
No, you do not need to breed blacks to lavenders to get lavenders. However, for many breeds, lavender is not yet present in the birds, or it is present, but the quality of the birds still has a way to go.
So, if you need to improve type or breed features, you could theoretically choose any bird that has those in abundance.
Let's take the example of choosing a partridge bird. This bird is perfect--exactly the correct colouring, type, toes, comb, you name it-the bird is perfect. When you breed that perfect bird to a lavender, the offspring's type and features such as comb, toes, etc., will probably be better than their lavender parent. BUT, they will also inherit the primary patterns of head, shoulder hackle & saddle colour (if male), or the secondary pattern or double laced penciling if female. You stepped sideways rather than advancing towards the standard--you improved one set of traits, but drastically hurt others.
Black is a solid base colour that is unlikely to throw primary or secondary patterns into the mix. If you want lavender partridge (or lavender cuckoo, or lavender ...), bu all means, breed to that patterned bird. But is you want solid coloured lavenders, you need to breed to a solid coloured bird.
White won't work because 1) it hides colours and patterns & 2) dominant white will take prescedence, and hide the lavender, except in the parts of the bird where it is leaky.
