# How can this happen?



## dingweding (Jun 2, 2012)

My fantail recently had their first chick, only one hatched. The cock bird is all black except two white feather on the tail, while the hen is a mismarked black saddle.

However, the chick is pure white, how come?


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

I think I have explained this to you last time it happened, There are lots of genes that cause white, In this case it sounds like they both carry recessive white but could be pied genes causing the white although a fully white bird is hard to produce with solely pied genes.

If recessive white is carried by both parents you will get about 1:4 whhites from this pairing as any bird with 2 doses of the gene will invariably be pure white


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## dingweding (Jun 2, 2012)

I know they might carried white gene, as both parents have some white feather.I expect the chick will be white pied. I think the chance to get a pure white is much less than 1/4.


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## tmaas (May 17, 2012)

dingweding said:


> I know they might carried white gene, as both parents have some white feather.I expect the chick will be white pied. I think the chance to get a pure white is much less than 1/4.


"Carrying white genes" and being recessive white are very different. Evan is referring to recessive white wherein all color is restricted from being expressed. If two parents both carry rec. white then, as Evan stated, 1 in 4 should be it. 
A bird that is all white except one or a few feathers is pied white which can be caused by many different, rec. and dominant, genes. Pure whites can be generated by pied genes also but not in a consistent manner.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

dingweding said:


> I know they might carried white gene, as both parents have some white feather.I expect the chick will be white pied. I think the chance to get a pure white is much less than 1/4.


It all depends if your birds carry recessive white, If they do you will get around 1:4 pure whites. 

What makes you expect the chick will be white caused by pied ( I assume thats what you mean by white pied, technically if a bird is white, from the piebald gene they are called white, Not whitepied. Their genotype however could differ from other white birds.? 

How many birds have you bred of this pair and how many have been pure white??


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## tmaas (May 17, 2012)

Dingweding, bottom line is that your parent birds likely both carry rec. white therefor 1:4 will be white as Evan said.

Evan, I probably should have used the term "piebald" rather than "pied white" but was hopeful that it would help Dingweding understand the difference.


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## dingweding (Jun 2, 2012)

it is their first chick, I know both black male come from saddle parents, the female is mis marked saddle, so I expect they will get some kinda saddle chicks. as the male is almost black, possibly some white splash etc..


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## dingweding (Jun 2, 2012)

the second round chick one is over marked black saddle, another is kite... the third rounds just start feathering,look like both are black with a few white flight.


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