Poultry Color Genetics
Blue
The color blue does not breed true in poultry. It is called “incompletely dominant”, where only 1 copy of the gene gives you one visual type while 2 copies gives you another. This gene acts to dilute Black (BB) to Blue (Bb) in one dose (it is visually grey, being between black and white, but called blue in poultry terminology). Two doses of this gene dilutes the Black (BB) to Splash (bb), which is white with specks and splashes of blue and black.
Blue (Bb) X Blue (Bb) = 25% Black (BB), 50% Blue (Bb), 25% Splash (bb)
Black (BB) X Blue (Bb) = 50% Black (BB), 50% Blue (Bb)
Blue (Bb) X Splash (bb) = 50% Blue (Bb), 50% Splash (bb)
Black (BB) X Splash (bb) = 100% Blue (Bb)
Black (BB) X Black (BB) = 100% Black (BB)
Splash (bb) X Splash (bb) = 100% Splash (bb)
Lavender
The color Lavender (lav) (called “self blue” in poultry terminology) does breed true. It is a recessive gene so a bird needs to be carrying two doses to show Lavender. Chicks resulting from a breeding to another color will carry the Lavender gene but show the dominate color.
Lavender X Lavender = 100% Lavender
Lavender X Black = 100% Black split to Lavender (carrying the Lavender gene)
Black split X Black split = 25% Lavender, 50% Black split, 25% pure Black (cannot tell which Blacks are split)
Chocolate
The Chocolate gene is a sex linked recessive mutant gene. Females cannot hide the gene, so if they possess the Chocolate gene, they will be Chocolate. Males, however, can be carriers and require two copies to be visually Chocolate.
Chocolate male X Chocolate female = 100% Chocolates (males and females)
Chocolate male X Black female = 50% Black split to Chocolate males, 50% Chocolate females
Black male X Chocolate female = 100% Black, all males will be split to Chocolate, all females pure Black
Black split males X Chocolate female = 50% Chocolate (males and females), 25% Black split males, 25% pure Black females
Black split male X Black female = 25% pure Black males, 25% Black split males (cannot tell which males carry the Chocolate gene), 25% pure Black females, 25% Chocolate females
Barring
The barring gene causes an absence of coloration in the feather, visually white pigment in bars on a color. Males can be “single barred” which would show 50% white and 50% color, or “double barred” which would show approximately 2/3 white and 1/3 color, making him appear lighter in color. Females can only be single barred. This is a sex linked dominant gene that is affected by a linked feather growth gene. If the barring gene is matched with a fast feathering gene there will be a crisp edge to the barring, but if it is not there will be more of a blurred barring.
Double Barred male X Barred female = Double Barred males, Barred females
Single Barred male X Barred female = 25% Double Barred males, 25% Single Barred males, 25% Barred females, 25% Solid females
Double Barred male X Solid female = Single Barred males, Barred females
Single Barred male X Solid female = 25% Single Barred males, 25% Barred females, 50% Solid (males and females)
Solid male X Barred female = Single Barred males, Solid females