Author Topic: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel  (Read 2677 times)

Christy Rodriguez

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Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« on: February 15, 2022, 10:46:50 PM »
Hi everyone! I need some help from those of you that are producing your own Isabel color. I have a self blue rooster over wheaten ladies. I know all are true and pure because I bred and hatched from self blues together and wheaten to each other. There should not be any hidden genetics. I hatched my first round of self blue over wheaten and have gotten chicks that almost look black and others that look wheaten. I expected this first generation to be all wheaten looking, wheaten split to self blue. Am I missing something?

Lindsay Helton

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2022, 09:19:20 AM »
Pure is a relative term. ;)

In a self blue x wheaten cross, the first generation chicks that you will want to keep will appear black at hatch. Keep those chicks to make progress moving forward.

For more info on what kind of phenotype and genotype to expect as you work on the project color, you may find the following article to be helpful:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/lav-shack.49228/
« Last Edit: April 02, 2022, 01:01:10 PM by Lindsay Helton »
Joshua 24:15

Christy Rodriguez

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2022, 03:31:36 PM »
Ok so the black chicks I will breed back to the self blue to see more isabel? The chicks that hatched that look like a red/brown (dark cream with a black chipmunk pattern) are not worth keeping? Those will not breed back with self blue for the isabel?

Christy Rodriguez

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2022, 08:22:13 PM »
Wow! Thank you for the link. Omg, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on genetics and color and that looked like a tangled web of generics that I am not prepared for. I initially was planning on keeping and raising any females that I hatch this year. But now I feel like I really have no clue what my goal this year should be.

Lindsay Helton

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2022, 09:26:02 PM »
Christy,

You can breed the chicks that appear black at hatch together at maturity and will have a 6% chance of creating the isabel color variety. Just keep hatching. :)

Yes, get rid of the chicks that you referred to as being cream with a black chipmunk pattern.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2022, 09:30:37 PM by Lindsay Helton »
Joshua 24:15

Christy Rodriguez

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2022, 02:10:59 AM »
Thank you so much for the help.

Christy Rodriguez

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2022, 02:13:55 AM »
Sorry just one more clarity question... I do not want to breed the black chicks to a wheaten or self blue? Only breed these blacks to blacks?

Lindsay Helton

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2022, 06:54:27 AM »
Correct.

If you breed the chicks produced in your first generation wheaten x self blue cross back to a self blue or a wheaten, you will not produce any Isabel chicks.
Joshua 24:15

Christy Rodriguez

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2022, 08:45:06 PM »
Thank you so much for all the guidance! I am excited to keep learning!

Christy Rodriguez

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2022, 05:22:42 AM »
I'm excited that I have about 30 blackish chicks so far. I am going to grow out everything that is black and probably keep 4 roosters and all the hens. I have a couple that are looking like a dark grey with the brown marking you see on immature Wheaten chicks. I have a huge 12 by 20 foot coop/run that they will go into once they are big enough to go outside. Is anyone on their 2nd generation of their Isabel project?

Lindsay Helton

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Re: Breeding wheaten to self blue for isabel
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2022, 07:46:02 PM »
Christy,

I am working on an educational post on isabel Ameraucana and will share it to the forum as soon as it is completed! You may find other breeders of isabel Ameraucana on the Ameraucana projects page on FB.
Joshua 24:15