OEGB chicks, Duckwing genetics

[Canadian Wind]

Just to be clear, when you're talking about the Gold, are you referring to mine, or to @Chookwagn 's?

I've looked at the calculator before, but I know so little of chicken genetics that right now it's over my head. They have been domesticated for so long that many colour mutations have been achieved, as compared to Muscovy and Peach-Faced Lovebird genetics (as well as pet rats, cats, cockatiels, and a few other beasties I've bred/owned!). If I decide to start breeding the OEGB more seriously, I'll have to learn though.

edit: Okay, so you are being specific to mine. I think I understand now. I re-read what you wrote, and this makes sense. It also explains why I have more variety in the pullets than the cockerels. Thank you!

So looking back over this, if I were to breed the pullets back to their father, or to the brother that was yellow as a chick, I would get more Gold (red/brown, etc) chicks, with a smaller percentage (1:4) being silver?

 

[NatJ]

Just to be clear, when you're talking about the Gold, are you referring to mine, or to @Chookwagn 's?

Yes, when I quoted your post, I was only talking about your birds.

(I just posted a response about @Chookwagn chickens as a separate post, to try to avoid confusion about which birds are which.)

two of the other pullets are not colouring up the same, being all reddish brown:

Those reddish brown pullets have the gold gene, and it must have come from their father. So they are the proof that your rooster MUST have gold as well as showing silver.

I've looked at the calculator before, but I know so little of chicken genetics that right now it's over my head. They have been domesticated for so long that many colour mutations have been achieved, as compared to Muscovy and Peach-Faced Lovebird genetics (as well as pet rats, cats, cockatiels, and a few other beasties I've bred/owned!). If I decide to start breeding the OEGB more seriously, I'll have to learn though.

Yes, it does get confusing, especially at first.

The more complicated version of the calculator includes a bunch of genes for traits like comb type, skin color, feathered feet, crested heads, etc. The simpler version is just color genes.

http://kippenjungle.nl/sellers/page0.html
This page links to several others that I found useful when learning chicken genetics.
Page 1 is a rundown of basic genetics (if you already know a bit of genetics, you may not need it), page 2 talks about some chicken genes and what they do, and page 3 is a table listing individual genes with brief comments about each one. I find the table clearer than the wordier page, although some things just do require more words.

I would group chicken color genes into three main groups:
One group affects how the colors are distributed on the chicken (duckwing vs. laced vs. columbian vs. penciled). Many of these genes interact with each other. These genes are mostly in the first half of the list on the calculator page.

One group changes specific colors (dilute black to gray or to white, dilute gold to cream or darken gold to red, dilute both black and gold, etc.) These genes are mostly in the second half of the list on the calculator page, and are easier to understand.

One group of genes has an effect no matter what other genes are present. This would include barring (makes white bars across whatever other colors the chicken has) and recessive white (turns the whole chicken white.) I would probably include mottling in this group (makes a white tip on the feather, then a black bar behind the tip, then allows other genes to control the rest of the feather color.)

 

[NatJ]

So looking back over this, if I were to breed the pullets back to their father, or to the brother that was yellow as a chick, I would get more Gold (red/brown, etc) chicks, with a smaller percentage (1:4) being silver?

Breeding the gold pullets back to their father:
25% gold daughters
25% gold sons
25% silver daughters
25% sons that show silver but carry gold

Breeding the gold pullets to any of their brothers could give the same results, if that brother carries gold. If the brother is pure for silver, all daughters would be silver and all sons would show silver while carrying gold.

The pale chick down is a wheaten vs. wild-type thing (other option: chipmunk stripes), not a gold vs. silver thing. Gold vs. silver can have some effect on the chick down, but I do not think it will let you tell which cockerels are pure for silver vs. carrying gold. While you are still using silver hens, any chicks that are obviously gold would have to be females, because all sons will show silver. Once you have gold females breeding, you can get both colors in both genders.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Yes, when I quoted your post, I was only talking about your birds.

(I just posted a response about @Chookwagn chickens as a separate post, to try to avoid confusion about which birds are which.)


Those reddish brown pullets have the gold gene, and it must have come from their father. So they are the proof that your rooster MUST have gold as well as showing silver.


Yes, it does get confusing, especially at first.

The more complicated version of the calculator includes a bunch of genes for traits like comb type, skin color, feathered feet, crested heads, etc. The simpler version is just color genes.

http://kippenjungle.nl/sellers/page0.html
This page links to several others that I found useful when learning chicken genetics.
Page 1 is a rundown of basic genetics (if you already know a bit of genetics, you may not need it), page 2 talks about some chicken genes and what they do, and page 3 is a table listing individual genes with brief comments about each one. I find the table clearer than the wordier page, although some things just do require more words.

I would group chicken color genes into three main groups:
One group affects how the colors are distributed on the chicken (duckwing vs. laced vs. columbian vs. penciled). Many of these genes interact with each other. These genes are mostly in the first half of the list on the calculator page.

One group changes specific colors (dilute black to gray or to white, dilute gold to cream or darken gold to red, dilute both black and gold, etc.) These genes are mostly in the second half of the list on the calculator page, and are easier to understand.

One group of genes has an effect no matter what other genes are present. This would include barring (makes white bars across whatever other colors the chicken has) and recessive white (turns the whole chicken white.) I would probably include mottling in this group (makes a white tip on the feather, then a black bar behind the tip, then allows other genes to control the rest of the feather color.)

Alright, thus the reddish pullets do not carry Silver at all. Good to know. And Wheaten is not sex-linked, so the two pale chicks I had can be carrying but not showing due to the influence of the Silver gene. Thankfully, I fully understand the Z gene in females (or sex-linked). If I were to breed a gold male then, to a silver female, all females will be red and all males will be silver split to gold.

Baby steps. Thank goodness I have a good basic knowledge of genetics, lol!

Now to get my head around the Wheaten genetics. I'll certainly check out the linked page! thank you!

 

[Egg Snatcher]

But what genes? What colour are these chicks?

I’m not very good a genes, but I do know that is birds are mixed it is very hard to tell what color they will produce. And because they arn’t producing pure silver duckwing chicks the parents are just mixe color and so are they’re chicks. The color they produce is not actually a “known” color.

Like little silver duckwing cross

She my look pure color but when bred to my pure duckwing she produced, white, red, and black chicks, not pure colored silver duckwing.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I’m not very good a genes, but I do know that is birds are mixed it is very hard to tell what color they will produce. And because they arn’t producing pure silver duckwing chicks the parents are just mixe color and so are they’re chicks. The color they produce is not actually a “known” color.

Like little silver duckwing cross
View attachment 3392405View attachment 3392406
She my look pure color but when bred to my pure duckwing she produced, white, red, and black chicks, not pure colored silver duckwing.

I actually enjoy hidden and recessive genes, and how certain alleles can modify genes (like dilution). I'm trying to figure out the genetics on mine so that when I sell chicks, I can let the prospective new owners what to expect.