I have a question about this hen's color (picture at the end) and the Ml gene. I'm basically trying to copy this hen's color and breed for it. I figured out that it can't breed true because in order to get the color she has you would need the bird to be heterozygous for the Ml gene.
I've asked some people I concluded that her genotype would be e^b/e^b Pg/Pg cha/cha Ml/ml+. I have a cockerel that should have about the same genotype.
By that logic, I should get chicks that are Ml/ml+, ml+/ml+ and Ml/Ml (with the other genes staying the same as parents), right?
Question 1 is how would ml+/ml+ and Ml/Ml change this color? What would birds with everything else like the hen in the picture except with Ml/Ml or ml+/ml+ instead of being heterozygous for it look?
From what I've read it seems the melanotic gene extends black pigmentation, correct? So would homozygous Ml affect the penciling pattern or make them fully black or something? And then would no Ml genes make them less black? Maybe get rid of the black head? Any description of how the color may change with these genes is much appreciated!
Question 2 is if all other genes are staying the same when breeding them together, then would it be possible to have these 3 variations of the color (hetero Ml, homo Ml and no Ml) breed togeather and get consistent results kind of like how BBS pens would work? If I worked with them enough could I get all 3 variations to breed togeather nicely? Keeping them all in one pen and getting all 3 in the offspring. Would that work?
The color I'm talking about:
I've asked some people I concluded that her genotype would be e^b/e^b Pg/Pg cha/cha Ml/ml+. I have a cockerel that should have about the same genotype.
By that logic, I should get chicks that are Ml/ml+, ml+/ml+ and Ml/Ml (with the other genes staying the same as parents), right?
Question 1 is how would ml+/ml+ and Ml/Ml change this color? What would birds with everything else like the hen in the picture except with Ml/Ml or ml+/ml+ instead of being heterozygous for it look?
From what I've read it seems the melanotic gene extends black pigmentation, correct? So would homozygous Ml affect the penciling pattern or make them fully black or something? And then would no Ml genes make them less black? Maybe get rid of the black head? Any description of how the color may change with these genes is much appreciated!
Question 2 is if all other genes are staying the same when breeding them together, then would it be possible to have these 3 variations of the color (hetero Ml, homo Ml and no Ml) breed togeather and get consistent results kind of like how BBS pens would work? If I worked with them enough could I get all 3 variations to breed togeather nicely? Keeping them all in one pen and getting all 3 in the offspring. Would that work?
The color I'm talking about: