Colour genetics of kite Jacobins

Basics

Colour genetics in Jacobins have the same genetic rules like colour genetics in all other pigeon breeds. The colours of our Jacobins are so called racing-pigeon colours, that means that the red is a "dominant-red". For colours which have a German name I will use this name. If I use the American name the confusion is complete. The kite colour is nothing else than the t-pattern checker in the blue/black series as they are genetically are with an "uncivilized" bronze and copper factor.

Now to the genetic rules. The cock has two genes for the sex, the hen has only one. In colour genetics it is the same. The cock has two genes for the colour, the hen only one. One can talk about sex linked genetics because the genes for the colour are on the sex genes. Red is dominant over black and black is dominant over brown. The genes for dilution are on the sex genes, too. The cock has two genes, the hen has only one. Dilution over black is dun. Dilution over blue is silver. Dilution over red is yellow. Dilution over kite is sulphur. The BZA is calling this sulphur colour in breeds where the almond colour is allowed "golddun". The "gold" is characteristic for the ochre breast and/or the ochre wings in this colour.

Marking genetics in Jacobins are different. Every sex has two genes. One gene comes from the cock and one gene comes from the hen. This are autosomal characters. T-pattern check is dominant over check, check is dominant over bar and bar is dominant over barless.

Another modifier which we call spread is also autosomal. One gene comes from the cock and one gene comes from the hen. Spread can be there in one dose (S) or in two doses (SS). Spread over blue turns a blue into a black, spread over brown turns a brown into a chocolate and spread over red turns a red into a ash. (In the USA this ash colour is split into strawberry or into lavender colour).

Genetic Examples

1,0 black                   x          0,1 kite

If the cock is pure for spread all young cocks and hens will be black. If the cock has only one gene for spread, the young will happen in both kite and black, both sexes.

1,0 red                       x          0,1 kite

If the cock is pure for red, all young will be red cocks and hens, the cocks will be split for kite. If the cock is split to kite, young will be both kite and red, both sexes.

1,0 yellow                 x          0,1 kite

If the cock is pure for yellow, all young cocks will be red split for kite and all young hens will be yellow. If the cock is split to golddun/kite, all young cocks will be red or kite and all young hens will be dun or yellow.

1,0 kite                      x          0,1 black

Again regardless of sex. If there is only one dose of spread there will be kites and blacks of both sexes. If there is a double dose of spread, all will be black.

1,0 kite                      x          0,1 red

In this mating all young cocks will be red split to kite and all young hens will be kite.

1,0 kite                      x          0,1 yellow

In this sex linked mating are all young cocks red split to kite and dilute. All young hens will be kite.

1,0 black / kite         x          0,1 kite

All young birds out of this mating are black or kite, both sexes.

1,0 red / kite             x          0,1 kite

All young birds out of this mating are red or kite, both sexes.

1,0 yellow / kite       x          0,1 kite

In this mating the young cocks will be red split to kite and dilute and kite split to dilute. All young hens, yellow or golddun, are dilute

1,0 black / kite         x          0,1 black

In this mating all young cocks will be black, black split to kite or kite. The young hens will be black or kite.

1,0 red / kite             x          0,1 red

In this mating all young cocks will be red or red split to kite. The young hens will be red or kite.

1,0 yellow / kite       x          0,1 yellow

In this mating all young cocks will be yellow, half of them split to golddun. The young hens will be yellow or golddun.

Many thanks to Drew Lobenstein, USA without whom it was not possible to write these lines about the colour genetics of kite Jacobins and to Werner Hechler, Germany who has given me some valuable tips.