Mixng colours?

[J&Kfeatheredfowl]

Hey, I was wandering about chickens of different colours breeding. What colour would the chicks be?

My example is, if I was to breed a black silkie with a white one, what colour would it be?

 

[Athena2344]

All black, all white, blue/gray, or splash, it all depends on the genes though

 

[J&Kfeatheredfowl]

I see, thx, I’m finally sorting out my allotment and should have chickens by the end of summer, I’ve always loved silkies, and I was just curious of what would happen if mixed colours bred

 

[Redhead Rae]

@The Moonshiner could help you with that, I think.

 

[The Moonshiner]

All depends if there's any recessive genes hiding and what the white one has underneath.
Pure black Xs white would probably produce black chicks.
If black carries recessive white the they could produce black and/or white chicks.
If white is blue underneath then black and/or blue.
If white is splash underneath then blue chicks.
If black carries white and white is blue underneath then white, black and/or blue.
Black carrying white and white is splash underneath then white and/or blue.
As you see without knowing exactly what a bird is genetically then can't be sure until you breed it.
Imo if someone what's to learn/understand genetics its best to learn with birds of known genetics.
Trying to learn with unknown genetics or mixes just makes everything 100 Xs more difficult.

 

[MROO]

[QUOTE="
Trying to learn with unknown genetics or mixes just makes everything 100 Xs more difficult.[/QUOTE]
... but makes it 300 Xs more FUN! It'll be like Christmas and new kittens - a surprise - every time you hatch!

 

[The Moonshiner]

[QUOTE="
Trying to learn with unknown genetics or mixes just makes everything 100 Xs more difficult.

... but makes it 300 Xs more FUN! It'll be like Christmas and new kittens - a surprise - every time you hatch![/QUOTE]


Fun to see what you get and fun to see the variety but not so much fun if you're trying to figure out exactly what they are or from which parents they came from or what they will pass on to their offspring.
Using birds with known genetics can be like Christmas too.
I cross colors all the time but still know what the genetics are of the offspring.
I can them cross those offspring and then its just a matter of which combinations of genes they get. I know what they can produce. Sometimes it could be 16 different choices or 32 or 64 or over 100.
Its still surprising and exciting to see what hatches.
Its also fun to take known genetics, figure out what certain crosses can make and then cross for a couple generations and end up with something that you planned for and worked at for a couple or few years.

 

[MROO]

See! We DO use seventh grade math and science in real life! I try to explain that to all those bored middle-schoolers, but they don't believe me! There IS a reason we learn about Punnett Squares!