# What color are my birds?



## Owls_N_Frills (Apr 23, 2011)

Hi, 

I am very new to all this, but have been reading about Dominant Opal, and it being fatal to chicks. Are these birds Dominant Opal, or ?? Thanks in advance.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

That is Frill Stencil, not Dominant Opal. So no fatal genes there  You have a blue bar and I can't tell if that is another blue bar, a silver, or a brown. In Satinettes, they are called Bluettes.


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## Henk69 (Feb 25, 2010)

Frill stencil alone? Why do we bother with the toystencil complex then?


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## Owls_N_Frills (Apr 23, 2011)

Thank you for the quick relpy! 

What all does Frill Stencil affect regarding color? Is there a place I can read more about the color properties of my Classic Frills? Obviously the homing pigeon genetic sites don't really talk about Frill Stencil, but I am interested in learning more. 

Roo (cockbird) is not real blue, like a homer would be. What other factors might be involved? Dilute? Pale? Or is this what Frill Stencil does?

I do think Pixie (hen) has more of a brown coloring, especially side by side with Roo. So would the colors of the offspring then follow the standard sex-linked pattern? For example: if this pair has offspring, they will all be "bluettes" with the cockbirds carry brown (If she is indeed brown)?** 

Since I do not plan to show my birds (or have more than one or two sets of chicks) I guess this is all somewhat rhetorical, but I am interested in all the different factors of pigeon genetics.

Thanks again!


**Per Slobberknocker Lofts website. (thanks for that link btw!)


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## indigobob (Nov 12, 2008)

Henk69 said:


> Frill stencil alone? Why do we bother with the toystencil complex then?


The frill stencil gene produces pinkish bronze C areas. Adding toy stencil whitens these areas (synergy between the bronze factors?). I don't know whether it is necessary for the complete toy stencil complex to be present to create the white expression.

Frill stencil blue cheq -









Dominant opal homozygotes are non-viable, embryos failing during incubation or chicks dieing soon after hatching, although some do survive. 
Od x Od = Od//Od (non-viable) - 25%; Od//+ - 50%; +//+ - 25%.
Od x + = Od//+ - 50%; +//+ - 50%.


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## Henk69 (Feb 25, 2010)

Thanks. I like the effect. How common is this gene?


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## indigobob (Nov 12, 2008)

Henk69 said:


> Thanks. I like the effect. How common is this gene?


The best-known example of the frill stencil gene is the Oriental Frill satinette and blondinette. The Americans breed a less developed Oriental Frill which, I think, they call the Classic Old Frill. The latter is capable of rearing it's own young whereas the former cannot.
A recent article in the UK magazine Feathered World featured an article, written by Andreas Boisits, about a breed called The Old Oriental Frill which received breed recognition at the VDT Show in Dortmund in 2008. These birds are frill stencil. In a previous issue of the same magazine a photograph was printed of a black frill stencil Lucerne. Frill stencil is part of the genome of some Lebanon and Dewlap colour varieties. 
In the US the fs gene has been introduced into breeds where it previously did not exist - Exhibition Fantails, Homing/Racing pigeons, Rollers and possibly more.

Frill stencil produces some very attractive expressions, it's recessive and unpredictable mode of inheritance is undoubtably why it confined to so few breeds.


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