Runner ducks - wondering about genetics for blue and silver

[merrydancer]

I think he is awfully cute! I haven't received a call or email from the Lady who had listed him for sale so maybe he has already found a new home. :-( Thank you for your help on this!

 

[Pyxis]

Oh yes, that's definitely the snowy/harlequin type of silver, not the splash type of silver. So bred to your blues, you'd get black bibbed and blue bibbed ducklings that were split to mallard base and split to harlequin.

 

[merrydancer]

ok so he is not the silver that would give 50% blue and 50% silver... right? He is what the is known as "snowy" in the US rather than "silver"... right?

 

[Pyxis]

ok so he is not the silver that would give 50% blue and 50% silver... right? He is what the is known as "snowy" in the US rather than "silver"... right?

Duck color names can be confusing, because for some reason, across breeds they will call colors totally different names. They might well call that color Silver in runners in the US, even though genetically speaking it's not silver.

So what I'm saying is that it's not the two copies of blue, no. But runner duck breeders might well call that color Silver in this breed. In Calls it would be Snowy.

 

[merrydancer]

ok... do runner genetics follow the typical blue-black-slash pattern? Is the "silver" (not snowy) the same as the "splash"? ( I bred orpingtons for a few years... blue black splash and lavender )

 

[merrydancer]

BTW, I did get that pretty young fellow! I am not interested in breeding so I am fine with him not being a true "silver" but rather being a "snowy".

 

[Pyxis]

ok... do runner genetics follow the typical blue-black-slash pattern? Is the "silver" (not snowy) the same as the "splash"? ( I bred orpingtons for a few years... blue black splash and lavender )

Yep, silver is analogous to splash

BTW, I did get that pretty young fellow! I am not interested in breeding so I am fine with him not being a true "silver" but rather being a "snowy".

Harlequin really is gorgeous; I used to raise welsh harlequins and have had snowy Calls in the past. It's a very pretty color If you do happen to breed from him with your girls, if you breed him back to his daughters you could hatch more in his color.

 

[merrydancer]

aahh! a light bulb goes on!! LOL I have three welsh harlequins and two blue runner girls. .... and now this pretty boy! I really love watching them "patrol" for bug and play in our pond. I used to be a "chicken" person but I am finding ducks a lot more fun>
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time with me. Have a good evening. mary

 

[merrydancer]

Pyxis... Question: Since my young fellow is a snowy runner, if I bred him to my two welsh harlequins (silver) girls, would the males look like him and the fems look like her? .... with a mixed body type of course.

I was reading another post by you and saw the "genetic calculator". I put in what I thought matches and it seemed to say I would get "snowy" boy and girls.

Do you have any thoughts on this?

I don't really want to start breeding ducks but if I got snowy by breeding my boy to my silver harlequins, it might be just too pretty for me to pass up.... at least once. LOL

Thank you

 

[Miss Lydia]

Don't forget more pics