Color Mutations in
Wood Ducks and Mandarins
Gone Wild

The problems associated with running the various color mutants of Wood ducks and Mandarins together where they can form pair bonds without regard to color is demonstrated in the models below. For purposes of demonstration a male Wood duck which is split silver and also split white was crossed with a Split Silver White Female. The male carries the genes C (Normal) and c (Silver) plus X^C (Normal) and X^c (White). Since the Cc are located on an autosomal chromosome and the X^CX^c are located on the sex chromosome each of the offspring will receive one of each pair of genes thus the table below indicates that there are four possible ways the male can influence an offspring.

Genetic Possibilities: Split Silver/Split White Male	Normal Normal	Normal White	Silver Normal	Silver White
Genetic Possibilities: Split Silver/Split White Male	CX^C	CX^c	cX^C	cX^c

The Split Silver White female carries the genes C (Normal) and c (Silver) plus X^c (White) and Y. Since the Cc are located on an autosomal chromosome and the X^CY are located on the sex chromosome each of the offspring will receive one of each pair of genes thus the table below indicates that there are four possible ways the female can influence an offspring.

Genetic Possibilities: Split Silver/White Female	Normal Normal	Normal	Silver White	Silver
Genetic Possibilities: Split Silver/White Female	CX^C	CY	cX^c	cY

In the punnet square below it is evident that if in fact all four possible gene combinations from each of the two parents are to take place it would require 16 offspring. The brood of 16 would from shear looks include six Normals, six Whites and four Silvers. Each color would be represented by equal numbers of males and females. Beyond the colors and the genders mentioned, there are 12 genetically different offspring possibilities. Furthermore, there is not one bird that you can genetically describe with a greater than 50% chance of accuracy.

This leaves a number of questions. How do you know what two birds to pair for a particular color? How do you price birds when the colors at least at this point vary greatly in price? Will a Silver/White or a Silver/Split White be as rich in color as a Silver? I am not going to get Apricot or Blond into this discussion. Granted it has its place. Seems to me these are questions along with other questions that we need to answer before we can't get back to where we were.

Split Silver/Split White Male and Split Silver/White Female
Male Normal, silver & white carrier Female White, carries silver gene		Male
CX^C Normal Genes	cX^c Silver & White Genes	cX^C Silver & Normal Genes	CX^c Normal & White Gene
Female	CX^c Normal & White Genes	CCX^CX^c Split White Male Duckling	CcX^cX^c White/Split Silver Male Duckling	CcX^CX^c Split Silver Split White Male Duckling	CCX^cX^c White Male Duckling
CY Normal Gene	CCX^CY Normal Female Duckling	CcX^cY White/Split Silver Female Duckling	CcX^CY Spit Silver Female Duckling	CCX^cY White Female Duckling
cX^c Silver & White Genes	CcX^CX^c Split Silver Split White Male Duckling	ccX^cX^c Silver/White Male Duckling	ccX^CX^c Silver Split White Male Duckling	CcX^cX^c White Split Silver Male Duckling
cY Silver Gene	CcX^CY Split Silver Female Duckling	ccX^cY Silver/White Female Duckling	ccX^CY Silver Female Duckling	CcX^cY White Split Silver Female Duckling

Other "Reaching For Your Head, Rather Than Your Pocketbook" Ideas

Can Be Found At: Fowl Ideas For The Aviculturist

For more information please contact:

Maurice Houston Field
Professor Emeritus of Science Education and
Curator, Waterfowl of Chenoa
mfield@utm.edu

This file was placed in service 07/11/2007.

The University of Tennessee at Martin is not responsible for the information or views expressed here.

Last Modified Saturday, 26-Apr-2008 19:51:02 CDT

Color Mutations inWood Ducks and Mandarins Gone Wild

Color Mutations in
Wood Ducks and Mandarins
Gone Wild