Hey Tim, (and everyone)
I was hoping to go for a multi-colored bird practical using bird that would come in several mottled colors. Ideally so people could have varities of several colors within the same flock?
Remember, I'm coming from a background in horse genetics, which I'm learning is pretty different from birds!
But, using the horse example, which I do know well, you could have a non-dominant black, recessive red, single cream, single dun gene horse, who carries the homozygous Tobiano spotting gene.
This "imaginary" stallion (although there are ones very similar in real life) could be crossed with 100 plain red and bay (brown/back) mares - and in one year, all the mares would foal out a multitude of colors, including red and white spotted, gold and white spotted, grayish (dun) and white spotted, "peach" and white spotted, gold/black/white spotted, black and white spotted, red/black/white spotted, etc.
You would get 100% spots on the babies, and a variety of body colors under those spots. And the distribution of colors would be pretty even. In other words, if the stallion carried recessive red, it wouldn't matter that he himself was a black-based horse, only 50% of his offspring would be black when crossed to red mares. (And the simple dominant modifiers would turn half of those red babies gold, similar shade to Buff in chickens, and half of the black babies to "grulla" which is similar to the color Blue in chickens.)
So in horses, you don't have to focus on one particular color at a time, as the spotting gene is universal - and simple dominant "modifiers" adjust the two basic body colors of red or black to make a rainbow of horse colors.
Now I'm trying to learn how it works with chickens, and what rules are the same, which are different, and what the modifier genes are so I can get where I want? It's frustrating to know so much about how it works in one species, and have to relearn the rules again on another!
For example, I'm learning that it seems the spotting (mottled) gene seems to be recessive in chickens, and there doesn't seem to be a "dominant" gene for spots?
And it looks like black is even more dominant over red in birds?
In horses, a single dominant gene lightens red to gold. This "cream" gene makes colors like Palomino or Buckskin. Does not affect black at all. I thought perhpas the buff color (like on Orps) was along similar lines, but it doesn't appear to work that way?
And from what I've heard, (which could be totally wrong, mind you) the "mottling" gene and the "mille" gene are pretty much the same gene? But the presence of brown or buff "breaks up" the black, and results in the white/red/black or white/gold/black tri-color appearance on the Mille pattern, or just black/white or blue/white on the Mottled? That the pattern only ends up looking different depending on the base body color?
No colors in horses are sex-linked. Gender does not affect colors at all.
Trying to learn as I go, and adjust my thinking accordingly. Is there a really good book about the subject that may help?
Thanks!!
