Egg Color Genetics Question

[maddiecakes]

Does the hen's father or mother affect the egg color of the eggs that she lays more? If I were to breed a rooster of a dark egg color breed with a hen of a light egg color breed, would their offspring lay lighter or darker eggs than if I were to breed a rooster of a light egg color breed with a hen of a dark egg color breed? Could I, hypothetically, breed Brown Leghorns, for example, with Barred Plymouth Rocks over several generations to be homozyguous for barring and also lay white eggs, basically recreating something similar to a Barred Holland from scratch? I think it would make the most sense to breed a BR rooster with a BL hen so all their offspring will have heterozyguous barring and breed only barred chickens that lay the lightest eggs for multiple generations until I'm certain they are homozyguous barred and lay sufficiently white or cream colored eggs. Is this feasible?

 

[The Moonshiner]

There's two genes for the actual shell color. Blue and white.
There's several (I think at least 13) genes that can be responsible for adding the brown coating. Some of those are said to be sex linked so that would mean if any of those are in play the father contributes a little more as far as the brown color.
There's also said to be a gene that can eliminate the brown coating or at least some of it. Some leghorns are supposed to carry it. Idk if it's common in them or not.
Yes you can breed a brown egg layer to a white egg layer and then work your way back to white eggs only. Since there's so many brown egg genes it may take quite a few generations though.
It's gonna depend on how many of those genes are in play. How many you hatch each generation. More hatched more selective you can be for the next generation crosses. And of course getting lucky never hurts.

 

[maddiecakes]

There's two genes for the actual shell color. Blue and white.
There's several (I think at least 13) genes that can be responsible for adding the brown coating. Some of those are said to be sex linked so that would mean if any of those are in play the father contributes a little more as far as the brown color.
There's also said to be a gene that can eliminate the brown coating or at least some of it. Some leghorns are supposed to carry it. Idk if it's common in them or not.
Yes you can breed a brown egg layer to a white egg layer and then work your way back to white eggs only. Since there's so many brown egg genes it may take quite a few generations though.
It's gonna depend on how many of those genes are in play. How many you hatch each generation. More hatched more selective you can be for the next generation crosses. And of course getting lucky never hurts.

I think I have it planned out for the first few generations. First generation: Barred Rock rooster over Brown Leghorn hen. Hybrids will be heterozyguous barred. Gen 2: Brown Leghorn Rooster over Hybrid Hen. Resulting Roosters should have a chance at being heterozyguous barred. Gen 3: Backbreed the 3/4 Leghorn hybrid roosters with the 1/2 Leghorn Hybrid hens, selecting only barred chickens. Select for barring and white eggs for every generation after. Once no non-barred chickens hatch, I'll feel confident they are homozyguous barred. Having them be more Leghorn than Barred Rock should help with the egg color I think.

 

[maddiecakes]

I think I have it planned out for the first few generations. First generation: Barred Rock rooster over Brown Leghorn hen. Hybrids will be heterozyguous barred. Gen 2: Brown Leghorn Rooster over Hybrid Hen. Resulting Roosters should have a chance at being heterozyguous barred. Gen 3: Backbreed the 3/4 Leghorn hybrid roosters with the 1/2 Leghorn Hybrid hens, selecting only barred chickens. Select for barring and white eggs for every generation after. Once no non-barred chickens hatch, I'll feel confident they are homozyguous barred. Having them be more Leghorn than Barred Rock should help with the egg color I think.

The barring gene is sex-linked so females will always be heterozyguous barred. I think I will be able to tell more often than not by the way the barring looks if males are homozyguous or heterozyguous for barring.

 

[The Moonshiner]

What was your end goal? Barred (like a barred rock) pattern that lays white eggs?

 

[maddiecakes]

What was your end goal? Barred (like a barred rock) pattern that lays white eggs?

Yep.

 

[maddiecakes]

Yep.

I want to create my own new breed, something similar to a Holland.

 

[The Moonshiner]

You mention breeding to get homozyguous barring. You'll also have to breed out the duckwing pattern.
One thing crossing BLs is there's a gene that puts red on the males shoulder. It'll pop up on barred. You'll have to breed it out too and if the females carry it it doesn't show.

 

[maddiecakes]

You mention breeding to get homozyguous barring. You'll also have to breed out the duckwing pattern.
One thing crossing BLs is there's a gene that puts red on the males shoulder. It'll pop up on barred. You'll have to breed it out too and if the females carry it it doesn't show.

I started thinking maybe breeding a Barred Rock (BR) rooster with a White Leghorn (WL) hen, breeding the F1 hybrid hens back to a BR rooster, breeding the F2 hybrid rooster to a WL hen, breeding the F3 hybrid hens back to the F2 hybrid rooster and just repeating breeding barred rooster with WL hens and then back breeding hens from that cross to the same barred rooster, replacing the old barred rooster with its offspring would accomplish what I want to do. I researched it. Apparently someone already did that. They are called California Greys.