Breeding exchequer and red mottled leghorns... confused.

[Puckaster]

Hello.
I'm hoping someone can help me in understand this. As I understand in the gene is recessive but I am struggling to fully grasp it. I have a young exchequer leghorn cockrel as in the photo. I'm thinking to get some red mottled leghorn pullets. If I cross these two birds what colour will I get and will I have to cross the 1st offspring or not?
I also have a white leghorn hen and if I crossed this with the exchequer cockrel and then the offspring too would I have exchequer birds?

Thanks.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there.

See if this tool helps...
http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator

One of the peeps who might be able to help clue ya in a bit that seems to have a fairly good grasp on many color genetics... and always fun to read informative posts... @The Moonshiner, TIA.

 

[Puckaster]

Hi there.

See if this tool helps...
http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator

One of the peeps who might be able to help clue ya in a bit that seems to have a fairly good grasp on many color genetics... and always fun to read informative posts... @The Moonshiner, TIA.

Thanks for this. From that tool it looks like exchequer and red mottled would give exchequer. Not 100% sure though because I'm not sure I selected the correct colour/gene types as I know I've read in the past about the recessive e.... or something like that. Any clarity would be appreciated. Would a red mottled hen be a good call to be able to have an interesting and reliable colour offspring?

 

[Crow Mountain Chickens]

Thanks for this. From that tool it looks like exchequer and red mottled would give exchequer. Not 100% sure though because I'm not sure I selected the correct colour/gene types as I know I've read in the past about the recessive e.... or something like that. Any clarity would be appreciated. Would a red mottled hen be a good call to be able to have an interesting and reliable colour offspring?

Paging @The Moonshiner. I bet he can help you with this as stated before! Good luck!

 

[The Moonshiner]

If you can get red mottled pullets why not just get a cockerel too?
What exactly is a red mottled? Red with mottled? Black tailed red with mottled? Or?
Pretty much the only thing they'll have in common is the mottled gene. Mottled is recessive so offspring will need to receive a gene from both parents to express it. They can carry one copy of the gene sight unseen. That's called "split" to mottled.
All your first cross will be mottled as both parents will be.
Besides that everything else will be mixed. Exchequer should be extended black silver and mottled. Reds would be wheaten or possibly partridge. Probably could be wild type as well. They're gold, columbian, mahogany, etc.
All offspring will get one copy of extended black, wheaten, columbian, mahogany, etc etc. To breed offspring together basically all their offspring has a 25% chance of getting back two copies of what you started so either the exchequer side or the red mottled side.
Then the other 50% will be two opposite genes like the first offspring.
To get back to pure you have to hit the odds of getting everything matched back to the side you want so the more genes they have to make their pattern the less odds you're gonna get it. IE hatch more chicks.

So with your cross if you breed back towards a red mottled you'd have to get lucky and get two wheaton genes (25% chance) same with gold, columbian, mahogany, etc.
If you have more questions ask.

Same theory goes with crossing with a white except whites can carry a lot of recessive or hidden genes or they may not carry much. It will be an unknown of what genes you're dealing with until you start crossing. So also unknown how many different genes are in play to know what the chances would be to get back to pure.

 

[Puckaster]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I've read it multiple times to try to full get my head around it. I think I get it.... Basically mottled is a certain and then the colour will be mixed? Then it may be possible to breed back to the pure colour after that though the offspring. Is there only 1 gene responsible for colour or multiple? Because i dont fully understand the 25% chanxe bit if theres only 1 gene.... my my basic understand of genetics of i bit off....
I don't want to get a red mottled cockrel because I have an exchequer already that I want to keep and don't want anymore. My hope is to be able to hatch chicks that will be interesting colours and give me possibility of having some fun/experience of breeding a little and producing nice birds for me and maybe some friends. I think these birds will give me that.