Mixing the Lavender gene with the diluter B/B/S

[robin416]

Two copies of the lavender gene are needed to have a lavender. One copy will not express itself, that's why you don't see lavender in a black split. This is where I get a little lost in the explanation of why the black is used. Probably the fact there is no way to mistake a black split from a lavender.

The blue gene and the lavender gene are so similar in appearance it can be very difficult to differentiate the two. So what you end up with is a maybe lavender or a maybe light blue or a maybe poor patterned washed out splash.

If I remember the post correctly the person with the splash lav, Bren or Suze came in and said no. Not possible. That it was a splash with the blue background not lavender.

 

[bacres]

I truly do not know why you are only to breed to black, but that is what I have been told. I believe that it is because it is what everyone else is using. I really don't know.

 

[trisha19]

Well I would go for not using the blue and splash. I bought chicks sold to me as lavender and thought they were till at about 4 months old some started to get splashing. So now I have some nice birds but have no clue really what color they are or if they even carry the gene. It just seems like to much of a mess, and too much record keeping to be breeding the B/S with the lavender and REALLY knowing what color you have or are selling.

 

[pips&peeps]

I have found that one copy of the lavender gene does still dilute. Lavender is a color diluter.

It could possibly bring up some bad colors in your flock that were being hidden.

I prefer to breed to black and express this to all new breeders so that there is no confusion between blue and lavender.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
I'm not aware of that particular situation, but the reason Black is used is that all Lavender birds are Black first, or Red (Gold), or BOTH, then the color is diluted by the Lavender gene. Lavender also dilutes Red/Gold to a lemony/creamy color. A bird can also be diluted by the Blue gene, or in the case of Splash, two Blue genes. Also, the Dun gene, the Chocolate gene...

Lavender will not show unless two copies are present (I wrote this prior to the post discussing the dilution showing with one copy- I want to hear more about that, pips&peeps!!). You certainly can have a Lavender Splash bird, as the two (diluters Lav/Blue)work differently in the way they affect the Black pigments. You could probably have a bird that was all sorts of other dilutions, as well, if you had those genes to work with, such as Chocolate or Dun. You can mix diluters, as shown in this post by Henk69, who has produced this new color of Lakenvelder by mixing Dun and Blue to make Platinum. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5053091#p5053091 (you'll need to scroll down to his lovely pics!)

This is why I'm so interested in this conversation- rather than being afraid of mixing dilutors, I'm interested in what can be gained by strategic exploration of known genes and fruitful creativity!

pips&peeps- regarding bringing up hidden stuff- wouldn't that be good for clarifying your genetic stock? To identify hidden patterns and whatnot?

 

[Tony]

Hmmm, so far from reading some of the responses, the biggest "problem/issue" with mixing the blue,splash and lavenders would be the confusion of telling splash from lavender birds. This is quite interesting. I`m looking forward to more responses with more information. Good job opening this thread Chookschick.

 

[SteveH]

Adding a recessive trait that closely resembles a dominate trait will most likely come back to haunt you . If I unknowingly purchased a black or blue bird that was split for lavender , then later discovered I had lav floating in my flock [ which I'm thinking and therefore claiming is B/B/S ] I would be very unhappy ......... and its already happened to some people .

 

[TurtleFeathers]

I think lavender is beautiful on its own, and Andalusian blue and splash are beautiful on their own. To me, lavender will ruin a good blue (or splash) and blue (or splash) would just mess up a good lavender, so I don't see any good reason to mix the two varieties. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE odd colors, but these two are the exception - they're just too similar to have anything good come from it, like say in porcelain d'uccles. JMHO, of course.

 

[danhonour]

When Lavender is crossed to dominant white,are the f1 white or black?I know they would be carriers and if bred together would produce 25% lavender.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
I am raising White Orpingtons and I was told that IF I take a Black to a White the White is dominant. I have yet to test this idea. But I believe it is true.