# Milky gene?



## Skogsdua (Apr 15, 2016)

One of my Ash yellow Sottobancas has a quite interesting molt. Her father is an Ash red while her mother is Blue/black. None of them (as far as I can see) show any sign of a milky gene, could this young female inherit this gene anyway? If this is what it is? Attached 2 pictures before molt taken 13 July, 1 taken about a week ago


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## Skogsdua (Apr 15, 2016)

These pictures are from today. Two inside her cage in the shadow, and two from the outside in the sunlight. She has been outside every day all summer, from 30 April until August that is, but this whitish color cannot be due to sunbleaching, can it?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Lovely bird!


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## Skogsdua (Apr 15, 2016)

Thanks for comment, Cwebster  She is a real sweetheart <3 Very happy she seems to molt away the rosette, because that is a big fault in this breed.

Ok, so I'll answer one of my own questions myself  I am a unpatient soul, I know, and if not found answers right away, I have to ask.. About milky I found both possible and non possible if did not show up on the parents. Well, Google can be a best friend and a source of despair... But, I found in an old thread that the milky gene can be carried for years without showing, until it just pops up under the right circumstances. 
"So if a bird has only one side (is heterozygous for milky) it will look just like any normal wild-type pigeon. That means the mutation may be carried along for years and years in a flock and never show itself. However, should two birds each carrying the mutation get together and mate, then some of the babies will show it. If a bird that is carrying two copies of the mutation (one on each side of its DNA) should mate with another the same, then ALL the babies will be showing milky. That's why you can pair "powdered" fantail to "powdered" fantail and get nothing but milky babies (powdered babies) out of the mating." Signed Frank Mosca, and I'm pretty sure he knows what he's talking about


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