Articles > The Opal
Factor & Black Checks
The Opal Factor & Black Flecks
- The Opal Factor
- Black Flecks
- Aspects of Colour Breeding
Chart
The Opal Factor
Breeding reds from two blues is genetic impossibility, but there
are fanciers who claim to have done it. The following should
explain the situation. Sometimes a blue pair will produce a young
cock which looks somewhat like a red check but is actually an opal.
If you compare the opal check with a true red check you will notice
a difference. Also the opal will not have black flecks as seen in
some red checks. The opal colour is also found in hens and is
usually a soft powder blue and there is no dark bar on the tail.
Racing ability does not seem to be affected.
On
looking through past racing records I note that an opal cock won
the 320 mile race for me in 1982. Further down the race result
sheet was another opal cock owned by someone else. The opal colour
in hens certainly enhances the show potential. I had a beautiful
opal hen that won many best in show awards. Opal is a recessive
colour. When mated to blues or blacks, only blue and black progeny
will result. The young will carry the opal factor and when mated
together will give opals of both sexes. It is an interesting colour
for experimentation. A blue pair could produce reds if there has
has been some hanky-panky. My birds never do
that!
Black Flecks
You will have noticed that some red cocks have black flecks on
their feathers, mostly wings and tail, and these flecks increase
with each moult. The explanation is quite simple and has to do with
X and Y chromosomes and whether or not there were blues in the
ancestory. Black flecks means these red cocks are carrying the
factor for blue colour.
The
business of X and Y chromosomes is more complex and we will leave
that to be discussed under another heading. You may have noticed
too that hens don't get these black flecks. If they do have flecks,
they will be brown. Its all about sex-linkage and those X and Y
chromosomes again.
Aspects of Colour
Breeding Chart
|
| Pairing |
Young Birds
Produced |
|
| Cock X Hen |
Cocks |
Hens |
|
| Blue X
Blue |
Blue |
Blue |
| |
|
|
| Blue X
Mealy |
Mealy |
Blue |
| |
|
|
| Blue X Blue
Check |
Blue, Blue
Check |
Blue, Blue
Check |
| |
|
|
| Blue X
Red |
Mealy,
Red |
Blue, Blue
Check |
| |
|
|
| Mealy X
Blue |
Blue,
Mealy |
Blue,
Mealy |
| |
|
|
| Mealy X
Mealy |
Mealy |
Blue,
Mealy |
| |
|
|
| Mealy X Blue
Check |
Mealy, Red, Blue,
Blue Check |
Mealy, Red, Blue,
Blue Check |
| |
|
|
| Mealy X
Red |
Mealy,
Red |
Mealy, Red, Blue,
Blue Check |
| |
|
|
| Blue Check X
Blue |
Blue, Blue
Check |
Blue, Blue
Check |
| |
|
|
| Blue Check X
Mealy |
Mealy,
Red |
Blue, Blue
Check |
| |
|
|
| Blue Check X Blue
Check |
Blue, Blue
Ch |
Blue, Blue
Ch |
| |
|
|
| Blue Check X
Red |
Mealy,
Red |
Blue, Blue
Check |
| |
|
|
| Red X
Blue |
Blue, Blue Check,
Mealy, Red |
Blue, Blue Check,
Mealy, Red |
| |
|
|
| Red X
Mealy |
Mealy,
Red |
Mealy, Red, Blue,
Blue Check |
| |
|
|
| Red X Blue
Check |
Blue, Blue Check,
Mealy, Red |
Blue, Blue Check,
Mealy, Red |
| |
|
|
| Red X
Red |
Mealy,
Red |
Mealy, Red, Blue,
Blue Check |
Reference: Squills 2002. International Year Book.
Email me at laurholb@telus.net.
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