Chicken colour/pattern genetics

[jessmorris]

Hello,
does anyone know if the 'porcelain' colour of mille fleur d'Uccle bantams is recessive? Someone on here mentioned that they had been reading up on this kind of thing - is there an idiots guide I can peek at does anyone know?....

[Suechooks]

Try an email or PM to Mike or Jenni (Bramble Poultry) they'll probably know.

[julesapple]

I've been reading up. Reading lots but understanding little. Getting very frustrated as I was good at Biology in school. Although that's possibly my downfall as I keep trying to liken poultry genetics to human, and really, it can't be done.

Jules

[its hilly]

I know just what you mean Jules. In horses or guinea pigs it would be a dilute gene that would 'fade' the original dark (in this case millefluer) colour to porcelaine. But I'll take a very big bet that it just doesn't happen like that in chooks. 'Cos nothing else I've come across in chooks is normal..lol.
I really am going to treat myself to a good book on breeding poultry for colour. Anyone recommend one?
There is a very good website on genetics at Index bestand voor een automatische doorlink naar uw site (I think) It has a colour calculator on it but you need to know some basics to get any real use from it. I'm slowly working my way through, but boy my brain fries so easily now

[Suechooks]

I've got a book called 21st century poultry breeding by Grant Brereton. Thats about breeding for colour. Lots of photos. I have to be honest and say I haven't read it! Its on my "to do" list - about number 248!

[jessmorris]

Thanks for help everyone - I had a quick try last night and read a bit but the terms they used I didn't understand..never mind, it was just a small query....

[its hilly]

I've just been re-reading some old Country Smallholding mags, and according to David Scrivener (I so want his exhibition poultry book) you get porcelaine by crossing lavender onto millefleur. Hmm. That would mean that lavender is a diluting gene?
I've got a cockeral who is black x lavender and he is blue (dilute black) so that seems to follow.