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Oi, I need an Excederin.
As interested I am in genetics, and read every one of these types of posts, I always go away thinking "these people are brilliant, and I now have a headache."
and PS, I cannot even figure out the kippenjungle calculator, and I fear if someone tried to show me, they would end up strangling me with their own 2 hands.
We can meet for coffee some morning when we both have time, and I'll bring my laptop and show you how to work it. It really is easy once you get the hang of it, and it is an amazing tool.
Recessive black is a "gene" debated back and forth, although almost all agree it is not a single gene, but rather a combination of genes or gene helpers. Do a search on "recessive black" at The Coop.
Anyways, part of what Marvin is talking about is the base gene for chickens: the E-alleles. The most dominant is E, or Extended Black, which is the base gene for the darkest best coloured black chickens. In general, E creates a self base (solid coloured chicken), although E based birds do have leakage in the hackles that require melanizers to cover and create an entirely black bird. Next in dominance is E^R, or birchen. This creates a crow-wing patterned bird. Still very black, but with significant leakage on the head and hackles, lacing on the breast, and on males, leakage on the saddle. Next in dominance is E^Wh, wheaten, which severly limits black on females, then e^b, brown or partridge, the base needed for many patterns and lastly e+, wildtype. The males of these last three are very similar in appearance.
The other part is recessive white. White is an OFF switch: it prevents the expression of genes that are present in the bird. But, if you remove a copy, you deactivate the OFF switch, and those genes can express.
