Who's Their Momma? Mad Scientist-Bred Offspring Questions...

[Amer]

The Easter egger? For one, he’s silver/gold split (“golden”), which is how he passed on gold/red to his daughters. He’s also probably incomplete columbian and he might have some duckwing genes in there.

There are two main sex-linked color genes in chickens- gold (aka red/brown/buff/etc) and silver (aka white). Roosters can have two of these genes but hens can only have one. So, a rooster (like your EE) can be gold/silver split, meaning that he has a gold gene and a silver gene. He can then pass on a gold gene or a silver gene to his offspring. However, the silver gene usually covers up the gold gene, so silver/gold split roosters usually look mostly silver (despite the fact that they also have the gold gene) with yellowish leakage and some red on their shoulders.
So, all your EE’s sons are either gold/silver splits (mostly silver with some yellowish/red leakage) or have two silver genes, making them completely silver (like your light brahma hen). The EE’s brown daughters, who can only have one gold or silver gene, didn’t get the silver gene from their silver mother. They got their father’s gold gene, and since they can only have one of those genes, they’re just gold instead of being silver/gold split.

To elaborate on what the other poster told you- there’s a gene called “dominant white”. Red sexlinks do have dominant white from their leghorn parentage. Dominant white is what makes the neck feathers and tail feathers of your red sexlink white. Here’s the thing- dominant white is called “dominant” because it covers almost all black feathering. It turns black feathers into white feathers. So, it’s very likely that your white pullet got the silver gene from her father (which is why she doesn’t show any red coloring) causing her to be silver columbian (the same color as your Brahma). However, with the added dominant white gene from her red sexlink mother, the black feathers that would’ve been on her neck and tail were replaced with white, resulting in an all white bird.

Honestly nothing I could say could elaborate on this.

 

[paloozaparty]

To elaborate on what the other poster told you- there’s a gene called “dominant white”. Red sexlinks do have dominant white from their leghorn parentage. Dominant white is what makes the neck feathers and tail feathers of your red sexlink white. Here’s the thing- dominant white is called “dominant” because it covers almost all black feathering. It turns black feathers into white feathers. So, it’s very likely that your white pullet got the silver gene from her father (which is why she doesn’t show any red coloring) causing her to be silver columbian (the same color as your Brahma). However, with the added dominant white gene from her red sexlink mother, the black feathers that would’ve been on her neck and tail were replaced with white, resulting in an all white bird.

THANK YOU!

So I may have missed this--but are you saying that our black and white hen is a Wyandotte and NOT a Brahma? Or does her heritage include Wyandotte? I had to Google "silver Columbian" Because I had never heard of that and noticed it immediately references Wyandotte. Again, the feed store had signs that she's supposed to be a Brahma... Ahhh

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

THANK YOU!

So I may have missed this--but are you saying that our black and white hen is a Wyandotte and NOT a Brahma? Or does her heritage include Wyandotte? I had to Google "silver Columbian" Because I had never heard of that and noticed it immediately references Wyandotte. Again, the feed store had signs that she's supposed to be a Brahma... Ahhh

Multiple different breeds can come in the same variety/coloration. Silver columbian brahmas are called light brahmas.

 

[Amer]

THANK YOU!

So I may have missed this--but are you saying that our black and white hen is a Wyandotte and NOT a Brahma? Or does her heritage include Wyandotte? I had to Google "silver Columbian" Because I had never heard of that and noticed it immediately references Wyandotte. Again, the feed store had signs that she's supposed to be a Brahma... Ahhh

No, she is a Brahma. "Light" is the first name people designated for silver Columbian coloring. Light Brahmas and light Sussex are examples of this. After Columbian Wyandottes made their first debut at the Columbian exposition (Chicago World Fair), people started calling breeds with the silver Columbian coloring Columbian which made more sense than "light," which seems a bit vague. Columbian is also what the gene that causes columbian coloring is called. Coupled with the silver gene it gives the phenotype silver columbian. Without the silver gene you would have gold Columbian/"buff" Columbian.
So your hen is both silver Columbian, Columbian, and light. IMO, people could hold on to tradition less and unconfuse people by just calling it silver Columbian.

 

[Amer]

Multiple different breeds can come in the same variety/coloration. Silver columbian brahmas are called light brahmas.

Way to explain it in an unconfusing way.

 

[paloozaparty]

There are two main sex-linked color genes in chickens- gold (aka red/brown/buff/etc) and silver (aka white). Roosters can have two of these genes but hens can only have one. So, a rooster (like your EE) can be gold/silver split, meaning that he has a gold gene and a silver gene. He can then pass on a gold gene or a silver gene to his offspring. However, the silver gene usually covers up the gold gene, so silver/gold split roosters usually look mostly silver (despite the fact that they also have the gold gene) with yellowish leakage and some red on their shoulders.
So, all your EE’s sons are either gold/silver splits (mostly silver with some yellowish/red leakage) or have two silver genes, making them completely silver (like your light brahma hen). The EE’s brown daughters, who can only have one gold or silver gene, didn’t get the silver gene from their silver mother. They got their father’s gold gene, and since they can only have one of those genes, they’re just gold instead of being silver/gold split.

Omg I love you knowledgeable people--serious kudos to you!! THANK YOU!!!

So, to confirm--are you agreeing that the 2 browns are in fact from the brahma?

And that if so, that means that all 9 eggs are apparently only from the brahma?

And that due to his/roo genetics predicting color, that from the brahma / the one hatch--we could get 1 set of identical brown color twins, 1 set of identical white and black (with splash) color sextuplets and one solid white? Sorry I'm asking so many--likely redundant--questions--this is all so hard to comprehend--all of it I would expect that their offspring would be only slight variation of the same color--always (like all black and white and never brown, for example)...

And another couple members suggested that the brahma is a silver Columbian, which I had to Google and found that description in reference to Wyandotte??? So is the Brahma a Brahma or a Wyandotte? I base my info on the sign and feed store telling me what the breeds were that we bought from them...

 

[paloozaparty]

No, she is a Brahma. "Light" is the first name people designated for silver Columbian coloring. Light Brahmas and light Sussex are examples of this. After Columbian Wyandottes made their first debut at the Columbian exposition (Chicago World Fair), people started calling breeds with the silver Columbian coloring Columbian which made more sense than "light," which seems a bit vague. Columbian is also what the gene that causes columbian coloring is called. Coupled with the silver gene it gives the phenotype silver columbian. Without the silver gene you would have gold Columbian/"buff" Columbian.
So your hen is both silver Columbian, Columbian, and light. IMO, people could hold on to tradition less and unconfuse people by just calling it silver Columbian.

OH MY GOODNESS THANK YOU!!! I understand what you're saying--thank you for taking so much time to explain and I so appreciate your knowledge!!! Fhew!

 

[paloozaparty]

The Easter egger? For one, he’s silver/gold split (“golden”), which is how he passed on gold/red to his daughters. He’s also probably incomplete columbian and he might have some duckwing genes in there.

Thank you!!! I did run across "duckwing" and wondered if it was applicable to him but this chicken genetics is mind blowing and I end up going in the wrong directions trying to figure it out by myself--vs asking on here thanks for taking time to share your knowledge!!!

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

So, to confirm--are you agreeing that the 2 browns are in fact from the brahma?
Yes

And that if so, that means that all 9 eggs are apparently only from the brahma?
No, and I’ll explain why

And that due to his/roo genetics predicting color, that from the brahma / the one hatch--we could get 1 set of identical brown color twins, 1 set of identical white and black (with splash) color sextuplets and one solid white? Sorry I'm asking so many--likely redundant--questions--this is all so hard to comprehend--all of it I would expect that their offspring would be only slight variation of the same color--always (like all black and white and never brown, for example)...
All the cockerels and the two brown pullets are from the Brahma. The white pullet is not. As I said in my other post, she has dominant white. Brahmas don’t have dominant white, but red sexlinks do. The white pullet is the daughter of the red sexlink.
All the EE x brahma offspring have basically the same pattern. However, they are different colors because the brown pullets inherited the gold gene and the white cockerels inherited the silver gene(s). The cockerels either have two silver genes or have one silver and one gold gene. The brown pullets only have one gold gene and nothing else.
Also, I’m not sure what you mean by “splash”. It’s the name of a different coloring which your chickens do not have. I’m guessing you meant something else?

 

[paloozaparty]

So, to confirm--are you agreeing that the 2 browns are in fact from the brahma?
Yes

And that if so, that means that all 9 eggs are apparently only from the brahma?
No, and I’ll explain why

And that due to his/roo genetics predicting color, that from the brahma / the one hatch--we could get 1 set of identical brown color twins, 1 set of identical white and black (with splash) color sextuplets and one solid white? Sorry I'm asking so many--likely redundant--questions--this is all so hard to comprehend--all of it I would expect that their offspring would be only slight variation of the same color--always (like all black and white and never brown, for example)...
All the cockerels and the two brown pullets are from the Brahma. The white pullet is not. As I said in my other post, she has dominant white. Brahmas don’t have dominant white, but red sexlinks do. The white pullet is the daughter of the red sexlink.
All the EE x brahma offspring have basically the same pattern. However, they are different colors because the brown pullets inherited the gold gene and the white cockerels inherited the silver gene(s). The cockerels either have two silver genes or have one silver and one gold gene. The brown pullets only have one gold gene and nothing else.
Also, I’m not sure what you mean by “splash”. It’s the name of a different coloring which your chickens do not have. I’m guessing you meant something else?

Oh thank you again!!! Ok I totally understand!

I'm so in shock that I'm not thinning clearly. There was another member who described "splash" and another "leakage"--i threw those in my reply to you--sorry--i understand what you're explaining and will draw myself a picture thank you x 1,000