# breeding checks



## fastpitch dad (Nov 21, 2007)

when breeding dark checks will they get darker with each generation.


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## jbangelfish (Mar 22, 2008)

*Nope*

They can vary some but the intensity of color is what it is.

Bill


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## BCBrian (Nov 23, 2008)

No.

They can't get darker than the darkest check in your loft. The reason for this is that the darker the check - the more dominant it is. For that reason, darker checks can carry the genes for lighter checking, or bars, or even barless within them. But those other patterns can never carry darker checks, within them.

The reason it can appear so at first glance is when birds carring a double dose (homozygous) of dark check are bred with anything else - the darker pattern will dominate the lighter ones - and all of the young will take after the darker parent. If the darker parent has only one dose of the gene (heterozygous) - then only half the young (on average) will resemble the darker parent.


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## fastpitch dad (Nov 21, 2007)

thanks for the info


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