Lemon Blue Wyandottes?

[Sonoran Silkies]

Blue doesn't breed true as it is the het. state of the blue gene, so the statement that lemon blues don't breed true is correct: you can and will get lemon splash and brown red. Actually, if you breed a lemon splash to a brown red you would get all lemon blues.

I'm not aware of any dilution genes in this particular variety, although most varieties that include the term "lemon" are diluted with either Di or ig. You have to have red enhansing genes such as Mh to turn the gold into red. I haven't actually dabbled in lemon blue, but it's one that I have learned to recognise.

I do like the buff & blue colours that I've seen in the cochins, but I too object to calling it by an already existing name that is very different in appearance.

 

[Krys109uk]

Presuming we're talking of "proper" lemon blue & not the buff X blue birds which are often posted (they're attractive birds but I wonder what people are expecting to achieve with them).

The copper blue Marans is not quite lemon blue because it also has, or ought to have, the mahogany gene. The same with the copper black Marans.

Copper blues are harder to obtain than copper blacks & as ne is only wanting to nick the gene, an outcross of blue wyandotte to copper black Marans would be a good start for making proper lemon blue, & then select away from mahogany (If one could also do the reciprocal cross & breed the offspring of each pen, so much the better).

I've got some lemon blue Marans as a by product of sorting out some of my Marans messes.

 

[tadkerson]

You may also want to try brown red ameraucana. The marans would be closer in body type. Any kind of game bird will set you back on body type. I would use something that had a body type as close to the wyandotte as possible.

Tim

 

[turtleblossom]

Tadkerson, I just happen to have a pair of brown red Ameraucanas! But the male has shafting in the breast. Will the shafting be hard to get rid of?