I will post on the Arkansas site today and then once a month until June 16. There are lots of small towns close to the border, so it's possible for us to have some visitors from Arkansas, and maybe a few from Kansas and Missouri.
What spaces do you want for setting up your cages, Michael? Let me know so that I can reserve them for you.
Quote:
I am NOT a genetics expert but I am breeding Self-blues so here goes - this is what I understand -
Self-blues are sometimes called Lavender in casual terminology but the APA (or ABA) has decided to call them Self-blue. They are an even, light grey/blue with no lacing, though may have dark feather shafts.They have the Lavender gene and breed true - two bred together will make all Self-blue babies like Blacks and Buffs. Hence the term "Self".
- Those of you that know more- Is this because the gene is dominant or is that a different characteristic? It has been a looooong time since Biology class.
The Andalucian Blue gene does not breed pure - two Blue bred together will create 50% blue, 25% black and 25% splash ( I need to check that ratio, haven't got it memorized)
Incidentally, the lavender gene is located close to a gene that causes poor feather quality so there are complications in feather quality in the breeding of Self-blues.
I love the Andalucian blue birds but have avoided getting into breeding them because the 3 colors that one gets from them takes up alot of pen space. However..... I just couldn't resist a good quality Blue Mottled pullet at the Maud auction Rebecca and I went to. She was paired with a great Black Mottled roo that I can use to improve the type of my Mille Fleurs. How is that for justifying another color aquisition? ( Mille Fleur Cochins are from breeding Black Mottled and Buff Columbian)
See my explanation with nanakat included. It answers most of your questions.
Quote:
Actually not cockoo but barred, use the barred male x Bb Red or Partridge hens, many do this with welsummer thus the Wel-bar, It always works regardless of breeds, I suppose you could use cockoo but the barring pattern is different.
I prefer to use the Partride male x Barred hens and you get better males in the First generation. And better color to work with moving forward. Set 2 pens Part. male x barred hens and Barred male x Part. hens and bring them together in the F2,
Thank you for the information about the crele color. A couple of my Dominique hens have nice barring. Would they work as well as barred rock hens? The comb would be different. Gosh, maybe I want the rose comb.
How does a person decide which hens to use?
I assume you have a welsummer?
the Dominque, is barred not cockoo and will work out very well.
Now for the rest of teh explanation.
Pullets can only carry 1 gene for color in the hackle which is inherited solely from the male, they then pass this color to thier male offspring . using the Partridge male over Barred females provides females with good hackle color to use under the "golden" hackled males from the other pen. Selecting a good creale male from the F2 generation sets the color and you are done and have true breeding creale..