[Slowrider]

If you have a buckskin stallion, what colour mare would give you the best chance of having a buckskin foal? Just curious.

I have no idea of colour genetics.

[JBandRio]

Being buckskin, he has at least one black gene and at least one bay gene, and he for sure has a single dilute gene. The best chance of producing a buckskin is to find a perlino mare who is homozygous black and homozygous bay. However, that also gives you a 50/50 chance of another perlino, but if you don't get a perlino you will get a buckskin.

If the stallion is already homozygous black and bay, then you can use a perlino or cremello mare, but you still have a 50/50 chance of a perlino foal.

It's not just about color in this case, it's about homozygosity for black and/or bay that you also have to consider. For example, if the stallion is homozgyous black, but not bay, then the mare doesn't have to be homozygous black but must be homozygous bay. If he's homozygous bay but not black, she must be homozygous black but not necessarily homozygous bay.

If you go with single-dilutes of the cremello and perlino versions above, you have a 75% chance of getting a dilute foal instead of 100% chance, so to guarantee at least a dilute foal, you need to have cremello or perlino.

[Slowrider]

Thanks JBR! I've read things on colours and genetics before, but I must say that I have a hard time remembering it all. It seems to make sense when I read about it, but later I get confused again. Of course, science was never my best subject in school. lol

[JBandRio]

You're welcome

It's not that hard if you just understand the basics:

black is dominant over red
bay modifiers only affect black hair, therefore have no affect on red horses
dilute always shows up
gray always covers every color
dun always shows up

Combine that with understanding that each "thing", whether it's color or dilution or modifier (bay, gray) or pattern (pinto, appy, etc) has 2 genes - 1 comes from the sire, one from the dam. Having 2 copies of something means that "thing" is homozygous. 1 copy means heterozygous.

So, slowrider, for you:

1. If a horse has 1 black gene, 1 red gene, no bay modifier, what color is he?
2. 0 black genes, 2 red genes, 2 bay modifiers - what color?
3. 2 black genes, 1 bay modifier, 1 dilute - what color?

[Shannon]

JB...I have to catch you on this one!

You will have the SAME chance of producing a buckskin foal with a buckskin stallion by using a buckskin, bay, or perlino mare.

(Assuming at least one is A/A and E/E)

Why?

Buckskin is C/Ccr (Ccr is the gene for dilute)

Perlino is Ccr/Ccr (Double buckskin)

Bay is C/C

So...

Ccr/Ccr X C/Ccr
50% C/Ccr buckskin
50% Ccr/Ccr perlino

C/C X C/Ccr
50% C/Ccr buckskin
50% C/C bay

C/Ccr X C/Ccr
50% C/Ccr buckskin
25% C/C bay
25% Ccr/Ccr perlino

With one buckskin parent, you will never have better than 50% chance of producing a buckskin baby

The absolute BEST ways to get a buckskin would be to use a perlino and a bay or chestnut with one of the parents being A/A and E/E, or at least one of the parents having each. If that makes sense. You can also have a A/A E/E bay with a cremello.

[Slowrider]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

So, slowrider, for you:

1. If a horse has 1 black gene, 1 red gene, no bay modifier, what color is he?
2. 0 black genes, 2 red genes, 2 bay modifiers - what color?
3. 2 black genes, 1 bay modifier, 1 dilute - what color?

Okay, I'll give it a go:

1) will be a black
2) will be a sorrel/chestnut
3) will be a buckskin??

[Shannon]

Originally Posted by Slowrider

Okay, I'll give it a go:

1) will be a black
2) will be a sorrel/chestnut
3) will be a buckskin??

Good job!

[Slowrider]

Thanks Shannond!

Maybe if I read this thread over and over and over, it will finally stick. lol

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by shannond

JB...I have to catch you on this one!

You will have the SAME chance of producing a buckskin foal with a buckskin stallion by using a buckskin, bay, or perlino mare.

You're right, however, with the perlino or cremello you at least guarantee a dilute, with 50% chance of that being buckskin. With the bay, you have a 50/50 chance of no dilute at all. I was just using the perlino/cremello as a way to guarantee a dilute, then the other chances are for buckskin or a double dilute.

Guaranteeing a buckskin from a buckskin parent and a non-dilute parent isn't possible- at best it's 50/50.

Guaranteed bucksin is by having one parent double dilute, one parent non-dilute, at least one parent homozygous for black and at least one parent homozygous for bay.

Slowrider -

[Appylvr]

If you're not wanting a perlino or cremello I would try using bay or black mares.