Breeding Blue Birchen Marans

[Thenino]

Hi! I know very little about breeding for color. I have some birchen Marans males. I have blue, black and splash. Unfortunately I do not have any females. I do have Lavender or self blue females and a male. I have bred the Lavenders and get Lavender 100% of the time. Would it possible to get blue birchen Marans by crossing any of the males I have with the Lavender females.

Thanks!

 

[JaeG]

I'm about to try this in British Araucanas. The Lavender won't do it, you need to cross the Splash back to the Birchen. All of the chicks should be blue (of varying shades) with silver hackles (called Silver Blue in Game breeds). Mate one of the Blues back to the Birchen and 50% of the offspring will be blue, and both colours will be improved. Here here are two good articles explaining the process (as well as how to breed Lemon Blues):

http://mgbca.org/wp-content/uploads...ng_Blue_in_Modern_Game_Bantams-C_Schullen.pdf

http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8036881

Goodluck!

 

[JaeG]

I did a bit more digging and found this (scroll down until you see the green rectangle - that's the relevant post):
http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8017112&start=15

Use your Splash rooster over Lavender hens. You'll need to breed the offspring together and select the Splash offspring from them to use with the Birchens (the Birchen rooster over Splash hens). Some will be split to Lavender, and it explains there about telling the difference as chicks, but I'm not sure if that's for the Splash as well. Lavender isn't what you want in the mix because it could change the colours you are trying to achieve.

Hope that's of some help.

 

[Thenino]

Awesome. Thanks! I will check those out. It should be interesting. Let me know how your project turns out. I love Araucanas. I have four young ones. Two are double tufted so I cant till they start breeding.

I did a bit more digging and found this (scroll down until you see the green rectangle - that's the relevant post):
http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8017112&start=15

Use your Splash rooster over Lavender hens. You'll need to breed the offspring together and select the Splash offspring from them to use with the Birchens (the Birchen rooster over Splash hens). Some will be split to Lavender, and it explains there about telling the difference as chicks, but I'm not sure if that's for the Splash as well. Lavender isn't what you want in the mix because it could change the colours you are trying to achieve.

Hope that's of some help.