Learning Genetics?

[the_peanut_coop]

If the black parent does not carry any lavender genes, all offspring will be black. If the black parent carries one lavender gene (split), 50% of the offspring will be lavender.

In order to carry the lavender gene, the black will need one lavender parent?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

In order to carry the lavender gene, the black will need one lavender parent?

Yes

 

[EmmaRainboe]

In order to carry the lavender gene, the black will need one lavender parent?

Potentially, or a split parent.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Question- If you have a lavender and a black parent, will all offspring appear black? Or is there a chance that there will be lavender?

A bird that is split to Lavender will always be Black. If you were any good with Mendel's Peas and Punnet Squares in high school it follows the same basic pattern.

b b
B Bb Bb
B Bb Bb

Where BB is Black and bb is Lavender. Black is dominant and Lavender is Recessive. Recessive means the bird needs two copies of the gene in order for the Phenotype (physical appearance) to reflect those genes. So in the above breeding, none of the offspring can get two copies because one of the parents is "pure" for Black. Therefore, all offspring appear black (phenotype = physical appearance), while they are all genetically (genotype = genetically) Black split to Lavender.

Yes

Not if both of the parents were split to Lavender or one is split and the other Lavender.

Keep in mind that if the bird is Black and did not come from a Black x Lavender pairing, you'll have no idea if it is split to Lavender without test breeding it to a Lavender or another known (or unknowingly split) bird and getting Lavender offspring.

 

[ColtHandorf]

b b
B Bb Bb
B Bb Bb

That annoys me that after I hit post it lost the punnet square formatting I put in. But you get the idea.

 

[nicalandia]

I want to learn chicken genetics. I already know the ins and outs of dominant traits, recessive traits, codominance, incomplete dominance, and multiple alleles, etc, I understand them pretty well.

You are 90% the way. Most people can't grasp that

 

[DarJones]

I have limited knowledge of color genetics, but can point out a few specific genes that are worth learning about. Start with the "e" locus which arguably is the most diverse and most important gene in chicken feather color genetics.

Mahogany - This gene shows up on wing feathers of males most often and tends to not affect females. Mahogany is often accompanied by Partridge which gives a salt and pepper effect to feather colors. Both Mahogany and Partridge can be difficult to eliminate when stabilizing crosses.

Pattern and Melanotic - The pattern gene is required to develop nice lacing and melanotic is required if that pattern requires a black background. These two genes are on the same chromosome and tend to be inherited together. The best I recall, they are on chromosome 10.

Columbian - gives the neck and hackle feathers with flipped colors. Look up a Delaware if you want to see what Columbian does without pattern and melanotic.

Skin color - is a discussion by itself. There are some skin colors that cannot be combined with certain other traits due to linkage. Shank color is part of this discussion since white, yellow, various slate/gray/blue/black colors are part of the genome. Interestingly, yellow legs appears to be associated with cold tolerance.

Comb type - can be simple comb (typically with 5 to 7 points) which is on chromosome 1, Pea comb which is a variation of the simple comb gene, Rose comb which is another gene (a chromosome inversion on chromosome 7), Flat comb (can combine with simple and Rose to create interesting effects, unknown chromosome), and nubbins which is a modification of the other comb types that causes nubs to grow on the comb surface. There is also a "crested" gene which eliminates the points on simple comb, a "split" gene which results in a comb that forks into two backward points, and several others that modify the primary comb genes and the way they express.

Egg color - Cream, white, pink, tinted, tan, light brown, medium brown, brown, dark brown, very dark brown, blue, and various combinations of blue with other colors are expressed in various breeds. Blue (chromsome 1) and zinc white (unknown chromosome) are two that I am interested in since I am working on a blue egg laying Silver Laced Wyandotte.

Then you get down to smaller items such as eye color, ear color, beak color, muffs/beards, and other facial traits. Silky, naked neck, stiff feather, soft feather, barring, slow feathering, and other genes may be required. If you want to visualize a funky chicken, picture a Silver Laced Wyandotte type bird with a stiff wide Leghorn tail. I have a hen with this set of traits!

So what do my birds need? Columbian, Pattern, Melanotic, yellow leg, red ear, rose comb, blue egg, no partridge, no mahogany, and many other traits that take time to stabilize.

 

[myawesomepullets]

You are 90% the way. Most people can't grasp that

Hahah, thanks. That’s good to know.

 

[myawesomepullets]

I’m wondering about how the red/gold base colors get passed along, white too, because I’ve already investigated splash, blue, black, and lavender, but it’s sort of difficult to find info.

 

[myawesomepullets]

Im not a expert, but i do know some genetics. What are you interested specifically In to narrow down what i might know?

I'd like to know some more about recessive white, extended black, and dominant white, if you know some about that.