In this section on Genetics there are breeding prediction tables for all the common and some of the rarer primary and combination mutations as well as brief descriptions of common genetic terms. I have tried to keep it simple and used familiar terms as genetics can be quite complicated and confusing.
Click on the links in the primary and combination mutations tables below to view the breeding prediction tables.
If there are breeding predictions not included here that you wish to know, please contact me via the Contact Me page and I will be happy to help!
Modes of Inheritance is the term used for the genetic ways in which mutations are inherited from one generation to another and they are as follows:-
Autosomal Recessive - to breed visible mutations both cock and hen must be either visible or split for the factor you are trying to breed.
Sex Linked Recessive - two factors in the cock and only one in the hen are required for a visual bird, when a cock has only one factor it is split for the mutation; hens cannot be split for a sex-linked mutation.
Dominant - birds can either carry a single factor or double factor to be visual and both are identical in coulor; birds cannot be split for dominant mutations and only the cock needs to carry the factor for a visual bird to be bred.
Codominant - as above for dominant, birds can either be single or double factor but are visually different in colour.
Phenotype is the description for the visual appearance or colour of a bird such as Grey or Lacewing.
Genotype is the description of the genetic make up of a bird which could be masking certain colours/mutations or could be split for mutations such as Lutino, Blue, (SF) Greygreen, split Cinnamon, which is an Albino (Lutino & Blue) masking Greygreen (non visual) split for Cinnamon (carrying the Cinnamon gene but not visual).
Split is the term used for a bird that is carrying a mutant gene and can therefore pass it to its progeny, but is not visual in that mutation.
Primary Mutations are mutations consisting of a single factor, examples below:-
Lutino (Sex linked) | Blue (Recessive) | Turquoise (Recessive) | Greygreen (Dominant) | Cinnamon (Sex linked) | Opaline (Sex linked) | Cleartail (Recessive) | Dark Factor (Codominant) | Aqua (Recessive) | Dilute (Recessive) |
Edged (Dominant) | Pied (Recessive) | Pied (Dominant) | Clearhead Fallow (Recessive) | Bronze Fallow (Recessive) | Fallow (Recessive) | Pallid also known as Lacewing (Sex linked) | Violet Factor (Codominant) | Grizzle (Recessive) | Misty (Dominant) |
Combination Mutations are mutations consisting of two or more factors, examples below:-
Albino (Ino & Blue) | Grey (Greygreen & Blue) | Creamino (Ino & Turquoise) | Cobalt (Dark Factor & Blue) | Violet (Violet Factor & Blue) | Mauve (double Dark Factor & Blue) |
Turquoise Grey(Turquoise & Greygreen) | Cinnamon Blue (Cinnamon & Blue) | Cinnamon Turquoise Grey (Cinnamon, Turquoise & Greygreen) | Turquoise Grey Pallid (Turquoise, Greygreen & Pallid) | Cobalt Pallid (Dark Factor, Blue & Pallid) | Olive (double Dark Factor) |
Blue Pallid-Ino (Pallid, Ino & Blue) | Turquoise Grey Pallid-Ino (Pallid, Ino, Turquoise & Greygreen | Dark Green Cleartail (Dark Factor & Cleartail) | Cobalt Cleartail (Dark Factor, Blue & Cleartail) | Violet Cobalt (Violet Factor, Dark Factor & Blue) | Violet Mauve (Violet Factor, double Dark Factor & Blue) |
Mauve Cleartail (double Dark Factor, Blue & Cleartail) | Olive Cleartail (double Dark Factor & Cleartail) | Violet Turquoise Cleartail (Violet Factor, Turquoise & Cleartail) | Edged Grey (Edged, Greygreen & Blue) | Edged Mauve (Edged, double Dark Factor & Blue) | Opaline Turquoise Mauve (Opaline, Turquoise & double Dark Factor) |