Paints are genetically a black chicken that carries one dominant white gene. One dominant white gene does not always cover all the black- so some black will leak through the white- this produces a paint. If a black bird carries two dominant white genes the black is usually completely covered so you get a white bird and not a paint. The trick is to breed the birds so that you produce very few birds that carry two dominant white genes.
There is another gene that can cause a bird to be white- it is the recessive white gene. Paints are not recessive white. If you cross a recessive white to a black, all of the offspring should be black. There is the chance that the black can carry one recessive white gene; then 1/2 the chicks will be recessive white and 1/2 will be black. NO PAINTS WILL BE PRODUCED ONLY WHITES. The black offspring from this cross will be carriers and should not be used to breed for paints.
paint x paint = about 1/2 paint offspring, some white offspring and some black offspring
paint x white ( dominant white)= about 1/2 paint and 1/2 white
white (dominant white) x black = most will be paints ( birds carrying one dominant white gene can be solid white)
white (recessive white) x black (carries recessive white) = 1/2 white and 1/2 black ( NO PAINTS ARE PRODUCED)
It is OK to allow a brother to sister cross or a father to daughter cross or a son to mother cross. Some individuals do not like doing the crosses and that is there prerogative. Line breeding is founded on the concept that if you have a superior bird, you back cross to the bird to improve the future generations. If you obtain a bird from a person who does line breeding, most likely any genes that may cause problems are not found in the bird. The deleterious genes have been eliminated from the line by the breeder.
Tim
PS
I went back and read the first part of this string. I have not seen any evidence for a paint gene or an allele at the dominant white locus. I worked with dominant white ( from leghorns and "cornish cross") for 6 years or more and I always saw the same results from dominant white. I hatched hundreds of chicks. Take a look at the avatar- he is "cornish cross" dominant white.
Silkies can carry dominant white or recessive white or both and that is true for most white birds.
There is another gene that can cause a bird to be white- it is the recessive white gene. Paints are not recessive white. If you cross a recessive white to a black, all of the offspring should be black. There is the chance that the black can carry one recessive white gene; then 1/2 the chicks will be recessive white and 1/2 will be black. NO PAINTS WILL BE PRODUCED ONLY WHITES. The black offspring from this cross will be carriers and should not be used to breed for paints.
paint x paint = about 1/2 paint offspring, some white offspring and some black offspring
paint x white ( dominant white)= about 1/2 paint and 1/2 white
white (dominant white) x black = most will be paints ( birds carrying one dominant white gene can be solid white)
white (recessive white) x black (carries recessive white) = 1/2 white and 1/2 black ( NO PAINTS ARE PRODUCED)
It is OK to allow a brother to sister cross or a father to daughter cross or a son to mother cross. Some individuals do not like doing the crosses and that is there prerogative. Line breeding is founded on the concept that if you have a superior bird, you back cross to the bird to improve the future generations. If you obtain a bird from a person who does line breeding, most likely any genes that may cause problems are not found in the bird. The deleterious genes have been eliminated from the line by the breeder.
Tim
PS
I went back and read the first part of this string. I have not seen any evidence for a paint gene or an allele at the dominant white locus. I worked with dominant white ( from leghorns and "cornish cross") for 6 years or more and I always saw the same results from dominant white. I hatched hundreds of chicks. Take a look at the avatar- he is "cornish cross" dominant white.
Silkies can carry dominant white or recessive white or both and that is true for most white birds.
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