# Brown or Red - Dilute?



## jerryd (Feb 7, 2011)

Hi, This baby is out of a "red check?" and a blue check. It had short down. It does not look like a yellow. so I'm thinking it is a brown dilute. Help .
Thank you. Jerry


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

*Brown or Red*

I think it is a true silver (dilute blue). A dilute brown would probably be a lot lighter in color than this shows. Brown is also normal downed in the nest. 
If the cock bird is the red check, he is carrying blue. Has your cock bird thrown yellow youngsters before? If he has the dilute is linked to Ash Red, 
but once in a while the linkage between Ash Red and dilute can be broken. The basic color gene, and the gene for dilute are not located close together
on the sex chromosome. The breakage and reconnection to the opposite side of the chromosome happens at about a 30% rate.
When the dilute gene _crosses over_ to link with blue a true silver can be produced. This happens in the formation of the sex cells in the cock birds.
This bird will be a hen.

A good indicator for brown is the false pearl eye, but it might not be shown in a bird this young.


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