[princesspiggy]

if we mate a black aracauna with a lavender, what colour would you be likely to get?

[CameronS]

i would guess black, as normally darker colours are dominant over lighter ones therfore show, yet the bird will still have the lavender colour in it's genes(despite not showing them)
but the only real way is to do it, and see what happens, well thats my theory anyway

[little blue]

as far as I understand ...

"Lavender" is a recessive gene for colour ...
the black would have to carry the lavender gene in order to produce any lavender coloured offspring


or if you're wanting to have lavender chicks, you have to be patient
...the first generation would all be black but carry the gene. their offspring would be 25% probability lavenders, and 50% prob carriers of it.
If bred back to the first (f1) generation, you could get 50% lavender offspring.

the offspring may carry the lavender gene, and so if they were bred, there may be chance of lavender chicks (but less probability with each "dilution" of the gene pool)

but on the other hand, you can't just breed lavender to lavender all the time anyway  .. as there would no hybrid vigour - the strength that comes from a wider gene pool. 

 

[CameronS]

just looked through my biology folder, and i would agree with little blue

she managed to put into words what i was trying to say   

thank you put my brain at ease

[cluckingnuts]

The young would be black as lavender is autosomal recessive, all young would carry one gene of it.
The reason lav/lav is not done generation upon generation is because the translocation from the perinuclear region to the dendrite tip is defective and therefore affects feather quality.

[doganjo]

The young would be black as lavender is autosomal recessive, all young would carry one gene of it.
The reason lav/lav is not done generation upon generation is because the translocation from the perinuclear region to the dendrite tip is defective and therefore affects feather quality

Whizz bang - whoosh ........................  what was that that went over my head?

[princesspiggy]

didnt realise all that - you guys are a clever bunch. 

[Buffy the eggs layer]

So Little blue,

            if the first generation of chicks were black but had the lavender gene would you need to breed those birds to true lavender birds in order to get 25% probablity of lavender.......?



Buffy

[cluckingnuts]

50% from that breeding

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks Clucking nuts,

                      I am assuming ( probably incorrectly) that the same thing applies to physical features as it does to feather. So if I put a hen with a good comb but poor leg feathering to a cockerel with good leg feathering but a spurred comb and they both have good feather colour.....I should stand a chance of getting some chicks with good feather colour, some of which have correct leg feather and comb......

Actually I dont have much choice as I dont have any better birds to choose from but it would be nice to know that there was at least a faint chance of me producing some birds of good type.

I have a feeling that you are going to tell me it's unlikely

Buffy

[cluckingnuts]

Hi Buffy,

as you said, that is your only option other than buying in. If you are doing lav x black/lav, remember all black young will be lav carriers, and if they have the features you desire, use them.

[little blue]

So Little blue,            if the first generation of chicks were black but had the lavender gene would you need to breed those birds to true lavender birds in order to get 25% probablity of lavender.......?
Buffy

if you breed a known Black- lavender carrier to a lavender bird you have 50% chance of lavender offspring, as Cluckingnuts says.
  bear in mind its all probability - you could get loads of lavender chicks in one hatch and none in the next from the same parents.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hummn

        I have blue croad langshans which very few people keep as they are not an accepted colour and so buying better birds in is not an option at the moment. I was interested in your answer to Princess piggys question about her lavenrer aracaunas as there is a chance that my birds could produce a black or white sport that is of good type but the wrong colour and I was trying to work out the possibility of one of those sports producing a blue croad of good type in the next generation.

I also have a white croad hen of good type and am now wondering if I should put her with my blue male and see what I get. Perhaps I should just let all my birds run together and see what happens. I may get...a buff Plymouth Langshan, A light Croad sussex or a blue barred wyandotte

Buffy

[cluckingnuts]

Make type your number 1 priority, it's far easier to add colour after.

[little blue]

Make type your number 1 priority, it's far easier to add colour after.

and then you can have a better idea of which colours your birds have - its easy to see what their feather colour is but not what they carry!
 
although its fun to "mix and match" and see what you get, if you are serious about breeding a particular colour, then a knowledge of genetics & the background/pedigree of your birds will stop you wasting too much money (hopefully!)