Calico genetics

[Swiftchicks_13]

I have a frizzled calico Cochin hen and a smooth feathered calico Cochin rooster. I know you can't breed frizzle to frizzle but have seen that calico doesn't breed true is that right? How do genetics work for calicos? (I have only ever bred millie D’uccles and polishes)!

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Depends on what you mean by calico. Can you post some pictures? If they’re similar to the mille fleur pattern, they should breed true, though you may get varying amounts of white.

 

[Swiftchicks_13]

Depends on what you mean by calico. Can you post some pictures? If they’re similar to the mille fleur pattern, they should breed true, though you may get varying amounts of white.

Ok I added the photos!

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Your’s probably won’t breed true, but you should get chicks that have some red/gold coloring and mottling. That is assuming the hen has two copies of the mottling gene— her mottling is a bit sparse. She might have only one copy, which would give you 50% chicks with mottling and 50% without.

 

[Amer]

Calico doesn't really mean anything, that's why it doesn't breed true. In the Cochin world they use calico to mean any combination of gold or red, black, and mottling for some reason. You'll get some black chicks with red or buff leakage and mottling like the father, and you might also get some black tailed red or buffs with mottling like the mother.

 

[Swiftchicks_13]

Calico doesn't really mean anything, that's why it doesn't breed true. In the Cochin world they use calico to mean any combination of gold or red, black, and mottling for some reason. You'll get some black chicks with red or buff leakage and mottling like the father, and you might also get some black tailed red or buffs with mottling like the mother.

That’s what I was thinking but wasn’t sure