Lavender vs Self Blue?

[monarc23]

I have black chicks that may be split to lavander...if the are Im pretty sure by breeding back to eachother, if they both carry lavander some will come out lavander. Sara and Jody would know

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I know that Black, Blue, and Splash are all found on the same locus, they are alleles with black being homozygous dominant (BlBl), splash homozygous recessive (blbl), and bue heterozygous (Blbl).

I'm asking, is lavendar the same as self blue, and if so, is it an allele to black? It is denoted by the symbol lav, so it is obviosly recessive, but... related to the black locus?

Splash is (Bl,Bl), homozygous dominant. Blue is heterozygous (Bl,bl). Not-blue is recessive (bl,bl). The Bl gene dilute black pigment (eumelanin), turning feathers that would otherwise be black to blue.

Black is the E-locus--a different gene and set of alleles.

Lavender is the name of the recessive gene that causes the self-blue colour (lav,lav). They are essentially synonyms. So this is a third gene that you are asking about.

All chickens have two alleles of each of these genes. You cannot have a chicken that is both black and blue as the blue dilutes the black. You can have a chicken that is both self-blue (lavender) and andalusian blue.​

 

[MoodyChicken]

Ok. So the lav gene, when homozygous, masks the black? It's on a completely different locus, yes? And it affects the black pigment? Just for clarification, thanks.

 

[hinkjc]

When there are two copies of the lav gene, it will completely dilute black. Although there is some fretting issues with lavender. There is no lacing involved with lavender coloring. It is an even distribution of a silver/gray color. Lavender plumage also tends to be more fragile and breaks easily.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Well said.