# Pigeon genetics



## Roland Janssen (Aug 12, 2013)

Hi all, 

I'm eager to cross breed a few different pigeon racing breeds. How do colour genetics work. If I was to breed a yellow hen with a blue cock what colour would the baby be. 

Hen 









Cock 









What colour would their offspring be? 

Many thanks


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

Since the hen is red and the cock is blue, these two are consider as sex-link mating. Sex-link mating is a very accurate method to tell what the gender the offspring is going to be base on its color.. 

Anyway, these are the possible color offspring you will get. All the sons will only be *Red color birds and they will be split from blue color*. All the daughters will only be *blue birds*. but if your cock is a split to brown, they might produce some *brown daughters*.

Now your hen is a little special because she's a dilute. Dilute gene modifies a bird color by cutting the color pigment in half. Red color bird will turn to yellow bird just like your hen. Your cock bird just a typical blue bird but if he's a carrier of the dilute gene, 50% of their offspring will be dilute as well. If he does not carry the dilute gene then you will not have any dilute offspring but only all of their son will be carrying the dilute gene. Dilute is also a sex-link too.


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## jabadao (Jun 11, 2011)

If the cock is split for dilute,only half of the offspring will be dilute,in the two sex.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

jabadao said:


> If the cock is split for dilute,only half of the offspring will be dilute,in the two sex.


yes, agree thanks for correcting me.


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## Roland Janssen (Aug 12, 2013)

Many thanks for the reply. Will be pairing them up very soon, so intrigued by the colour aspects. 

I also have a blue hen and a yellow cock. Would their offspring be the same colour as the yellow hen and blue cock.


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## Roland Janssen (Aug 12, 2013)

sev3ns0uls said:


> Since the hen is red and the cock is blue, these two are consider as sex-link mating. Sex-link mating is a very accurate method to tell what the gender the offspring is going to be base on its color..
> 
> Anyway, these are the possible color offspring you will get. All the sons will only be *Red color birds and they will be split from blue color*. All the daughters will only be *blue birds*. but if your cock is a split to brown, they might produce some *brown daughters*.
> 
> Now your hen is a little special because she's a dilute. Dilute gene modifies a bird color by cutting the color pigment in half. Red color bird will turn to yellow bird just like your hen. Your cock bird just a typical blue bird but if he's a carrier of the dilute gene, 50% of their offspring will be dilute as well. If he does not carry the dilute gene then you will not have any dilute offspring but only all their son will be carrying the dilute gene. Dilute is also a sex-link too.


Thanks for the reply. Iv never seen a brown pigeon before. Could you give me a link to a picture of a brown pigeon please.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

Roland Janssen said:


> Many thanks for the reply. Will be pairing them up very soon, so intrigued by the colour aspects.
> 
> I also have a blue hen and a yellow cock. Would their offspring be the same colour as the yellow hen and blue cock.


here is a brown bird. 









for your second post:
yes, since its a yellow cock, 100% all the daughters will be dilute like the father. All of their sons will only be red but they will all carry the dilute gene and split from blue.


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## Roland Janssen (Aug 12, 2013)

sev3ns0uls said:


> here is a brown bird.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply, the brown bird looks very nice. Would love to have a few of those.


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## jabadao (Jun 11, 2011)

Roland Janssen said:


> Many thanks for the reply. Will be pairing them up very soon, so intrigued by the colour aspects.
> 
> I also have a blue hen and a yellow cock. Would their offspring be the same colour as the yellow hen and blue cock.


No,it's not the same.

Dilute cock with not dilute hen is sex-linked.All the daughters will be dilute but not the sons.
For the color,if your cock is **** for ash-red,all the youngs will be ash-red (yellow for the hens).
If your cock is yellow and split for blue,half of his offsprings will be blue and half ash red in the both sex (of course always dilute for the hen,so yellow and silver).
If your cock is yellow and split for brow,the sons will be half blue,half ash-red and the daughters will be half yellow and half khaki (dilute of brown).

Hope you understand,sorry for my english.


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## jabadao (Jun 11, 2011)

Roland Janssen said:


> Thanks for the reply, the brown bird looks very nice. Would love to have a few of those.


I don't know where you are located in UK but if your are interested with brown,one of my friend in north of France have got racers with this color.

Here is a link to his blog 

http://gegevitro.skyrock.com/

And me I have not brown but I've got almond,qualmond,drizzle and recessive opale racers and I live in Brittany.


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