# Advice on breeding self blacks, reds and browns



## Al 52 (Sep 27, 2008)

I have recently aquired some English carriers in black, brown and red and I am after some advice to on how best to breed a good even, rich color in all the three colors mentioned. A deep, rich lustrous black with a green sheen,a dark chocolate brown and a deep , rich chestnut red. What would be the best approach to achieve these goals? Any suggestions?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for your interest in good and rich color breeding.

I'm going to move your thread to the appropriate forum for better exposure.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

this site has some genetic color info..do not know if will help but it is ineresting....http://www.angelfire.com/ga/huntleyloft/Page1.html


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## bluecheck (Aug 17, 2006)

The rich black you describe is also a factor that involves grease quills and iridescence. Check your birds along the flanks and see if any of them have what appears to be partly opened quill feathers that look almost like small paintbrushes. These are the grease quills. Not all have them. If you find them, then begin to pair birds that carry these and you will see an instant increase in gloss and shine in the young - especially in the black and red.

Make sure that when you're pairing birds that you start with the deepest colored one that you have in the loft and pair those - reds are a challenge because a lot of them in all breeds show smut (bleed through of the under color) especially on the tail and rump. This is going to take a lot of selecting - keep the good birds in color and type and dump the rest. A good rich brown also takes selection. Since a good self brown is a spread bird, you may occasionally be able to pair them with your blacks as well -- I'd be careful putting them to your reds if you don't know what's under the recessive red. However, sometimes a spread brown under recessive red helps the red look more intense and deeper.

As I just told someone in another thread, there's still a lot of art involved in breeding even with what we now know genetically about the birds. 

Frank


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

It often takes good color to achive good color. Take red. the reds that shoe less blueing in the tail and flights Can lead to better color. Now red as it is improved holds the chesnut color very well. Breeding out the bule. NOW smut such as red crossed with yellow. agin put over good color you see improved color by the second breeding year. Black the beetle sheen black the same. Now carriers have been in show for many years and good color is there to work with. You can even cross white over in black and rebuild the self black And it looks good. Been there done that. Remember if you are going to be showing your birds NO color is off limits to add quality. As color comes back quality has to be improved on at all times to maintain depth . And people do make the old mistake of over looking quality of one colored bird that would improve the quality of another colored bird. Thinking color first quality second. That makes for an over sight in a good breeding program.


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## Al 52 (Sep 27, 2008)

Many thanks to all replies.


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