More information about the Blue Fawns and Pastels
Management and Breeding Pens:
For several years I used much of the same breeding pens/codes each spring that I started off using way back in 2012. In 2015 I added new pens and kennels that were utilized. All eggs are marked with the pen code at the time of collection with a marker. In 2016 the pen codes were 1, 2, K, SRF, SRM, and BR for both lines/all blue fawn matings. I expect some of that to change starting in 2017 as I move forward with some new ideas. The BL pen code is for the pure gray Rouen flock. All eggs are hatched separate from my pure gray Rouen eggs. We have several different incubators/hatchers and we also utilize mesh laundry bags to hatch all of the different ducklings. All ducklings are toe punched when they hatch. Each toe punch is checked to be sure the skin is totally removed from the punch. The gray, blue fawn, and pastel are toe punched with the corresponding code for the pen they hatched from. For example all the blue fawn ducklings from lot #1 get a punch in each web of the right foot, lot #2 gets a punch in each web on the left foot, and the Kennel lot gets a punch in all 4 webs. We’ve developed a system we like that works for us and the birds. Please let me know if you have any questions about our breeder management.
Unexpected Traits Along the Way:
I hatched out 1 nutmeg colored Rouen pullet in 2013 from the Buff duck line. I did some research and found out what genetically she would be and how exactly I could have got a nutmeg colored duckling. Nutmeg is the wild type color and pattern with buff and chocolate genes and both of those are sex-linked recessive (M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- or M+md Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- ). Therefore, I was able to deduce that the Ohio National birds I picked up were actually derived from a cross between a female gray Rouen (M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+- Bu+-) and a male Buff duck (mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu or mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu).
The F1 mother I picked up at the Ohio National would actually be a Buff Lilac color and not a true blue fawn (genetically mdM+ Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu-). One or both (probably just one) of the F1 mother’s sons carried the buff and chocolate genes without physically expressing them because they are sex-link recessive genes which get masked by the dominant genes. All of the F1 mother’s daughters could not carry these genes because they were female.
It was very helpful to finally know what I was working with when I figured all of this out. Both F2 males were sold and replaced with F3 males. I now knew I had to breed out the unwanted dusky, buff, and chocolate recessive genes while keeping the incompletely dominant blue gene.
The F1 Saxony/Rouen offspring expressed a slightly lighter throat than I had hoped for but each generation it gets better. I am thinking this is the Restrictive gene at play. Saxony ducks have been crossed with Silver Appleyard ducks on occasion which is why they often carry the Restrictive gene from the Appleyard.
I’ve also had to deal with selecting against the crested gene in both the Buff duck and Saxony cross lines. I did not know how pervasive the crested gene was in breeds it wasn’t supposed to be in until I had to weed it out. I’m spoken with several individuals about the pervasiveness of the crested gene and dealing with it. When the crested gene has popped out I’ve scrapped entire breeding pens of blue fawn birds as well as all their offspring from that pen just to eliminate the possibility of passing it on to subsequent generations. I believe I have eliminated the crested gene but it is hard to be certain because a parent can carry the gene and show no signs of being a carrier. Only time will tell.
Genetics:
When you cross a gray Rouen with a blue fawn Rouen you get 50% offspring that are gray and 50% offspring that are blue fawn. When you cross a blue fawn Rouen to a blue fawn Rouen you get 50% blue fawn, 25% gray, and 25% pastel. When you cross a pastel Rouen to a pastel Rouen you get 100% pastel. When you cross a pastel Rouen to a blue fawn Rouen you get 50% pastel and 50% blue fawn.
Pure Gray Rouen male and female genetically: M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+D+ Bu+Bu+
Pure Blue Fawn male and female genetically: M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+D+ Bu+Bu+
Pure Saxony male and female genetically: M+M+ lili e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+D+ Bu+Bu+
Buff duck male: mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu or mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu
Buff duck female: mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- or mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu-
Nutmeg female genetically: M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- or M+md Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu-
For several years I used much of the same breeding pens/codes each spring that I started off using way back in 2012. In 2015 I added new pens and kennels that were utilized. All eggs are marked with the pen code at the time of collection with a marker. In 2016 the pen codes were 1, 2, K, SRF, SRM, and BR for both lines/all blue fawn matings. I expect some of that to change starting in 2017 as I move forward with some new ideas. The BL pen code is for the pure gray Rouen flock. All eggs are hatched separate from my pure gray Rouen eggs. We have several different incubators/hatchers and we also utilize mesh laundry bags to hatch all of the different ducklings. All ducklings are toe punched when they hatch. Each toe punch is checked to be sure the skin is totally removed from the punch. The gray, blue fawn, and pastel are toe punched with the corresponding code for the pen they hatched from. For example all the blue fawn ducklings from lot #1 get a punch in each web of the right foot, lot #2 gets a punch in each web on the left foot, and the Kennel lot gets a punch in all 4 webs. We’ve developed a system we like that works for us and the birds. Please let me know if you have any questions about our breeder management.
Unexpected Traits Along the Way:
I hatched out 1 nutmeg colored Rouen pullet in 2013 from the Buff duck line. I did some research and found out what genetically she would be and how exactly I could have got a nutmeg colored duckling. Nutmeg is the wild type color and pattern with buff and chocolate genes and both of those are sex-linked recessive (M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- or M+md Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- ). Therefore, I was able to deduce that the Ohio National birds I picked up were actually derived from a cross between a female gray Rouen (M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+- Bu+-) and a male Buff duck (mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu or mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu).
The F1 mother I picked up at the Ohio National would actually be a Buff Lilac color and not a true blue fawn (genetically mdM+ Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu-). One or both (probably just one) of the F1 mother’s sons carried the buff and chocolate genes without physically expressing them because they are sex-link recessive genes which get masked by the dominant genes. All of the F1 mother’s daughters could not carry these genes because they were female.
It was very helpful to finally know what I was working with when I figured all of this out. Both F2 males were sold and replaced with F3 males. I now knew I had to breed out the unwanted dusky, buff, and chocolate recessive genes while keeping the incompletely dominant blue gene.
The F1 Saxony/Rouen offspring expressed a slightly lighter throat than I had hoped for but each generation it gets better. I am thinking this is the Restrictive gene at play. Saxony ducks have been crossed with Silver Appleyard ducks on occasion which is why they often carry the Restrictive gene from the Appleyard.
I’ve also had to deal with selecting against the crested gene in both the Buff duck and Saxony cross lines. I did not know how pervasive the crested gene was in breeds it wasn’t supposed to be in until I had to weed it out. I’m spoken with several individuals about the pervasiveness of the crested gene and dealing with it. When the crested gene has popped out I’ve scrapped entire breeding pens of blue fawn birds as well as all their offspring from that pen just to eliminate the possibility of passing it on to subsequent generations. I believe I have eliminated the crested gene but it is hard to be certain because a parent can carry the gene and show no signs of being a carrier. Only time will tell.
Genetics:
When you cross a gray Rouen with a blue fawn Rouen you get 50% offspring that are gray and 50% offspring that are blue fawn. When you cross a blue fawn Rouen to a blue fawn Rouen you get 50% blue fawn, 25% gray, and 25% pastel. When you cross a pastel Rouen to a pastel Rouen you get 100% pastel. When you cross a pastel Rouen to a blue fawn Rouen you get 50% pastel and 50% blue fawn.
Pure Gray Rouen male and female genetically: M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+D+ Bu+Bu+
Pure Blue Fawn male and female genetically: M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+D+ Bu+Bu+
Pure Saxony male and female genetically: M+M+ lili e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+D+ Bu+Bu+
Buff duck male: mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu or mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ dd bubu
Buff duck female: mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ Blbl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- or mdmd Li+Li+ e+e+ BlBl C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu-
Nutmeg female genetically: M+M+ Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu- or M+md Li+Li+ e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ d- bu-
Punnett Squares
Click on the small images at the bottom to make them larger.