Creating Mille Fleur
Mille Fleur - Possible in South Africa?
(naming standards and percentages are from the Genetics Calculator)
The mille fleur pattern is at prototype stage all over the world, people are breeding these in large numbers and they are starting to breed true.
So, in South Africa, with what we have available, can we make this pattern? You betcha.
The genes responsible are Mottling (mo) and Columbian(Co) and Patterning Gene (Pg) indirectly. Possibly also Mahogany(Mh) and Melanotic(Ml) in the US birds.
(As a side note there may be other modifiers used in the make up at the moment. Things like the gene Db or Melanotic (Ml), e^wh bases instead of the e^b brown. Until the pattern is "set" and standardised,
these will remain up in the air. A lot of people maintain that MF was partly the combined feather pattern spangled plus the mottling gene, that would be (s+ and Pg, Db, Ml, mo) on a wheaton or e^wh background.
This will give you the advantage of less smuttiness then a bird on an e^b background)
So what is the basic structure?
Basically from my understanding it is a modification of a Buff Columbian base. Seeing as we dont have Buff Columbian we will have to make them. So Partridge male over Columbian hen will give us incomplete Buff Columbian in the f1 (Pg/pg+ Co/co+). They will be incomplete for the Columbian (Co). The Columbian gene will restrict the partridge brown base colour into a Buff, and push the patterning out of most of the feathering, leaving some in the hackles, saddle and wings. Breed the f1's back together and hatch a large amount and you should get some decent Buff Columbian. (See right)
(naming standards and percentages are from the Genetics Calculator)
The mille fleur pattern is at prototype stage all over the world, people are breeding these in large numbers and they are starting to breed true.
So, in South Africa, with what we have available, can we make this pattern? You betcha.
The genes responsible are Mottling (mo) and Columbian(Co) and Patterning Gene (Pg) indirectly. Possibly also Mahogany(Mh) and Melanotic(Ml) in the US birds.
(As a side note there may be other modifiers used in the make up at the moment. Things like the gene Db or Melanotic (Ml), e^wh bases instead of the e^b brown. Until the pattern is "set" and standardised,
these will remain up in the air. A lot of people maintain that MF was partly the combined feather pattern spangled plus the mottling gene, that would be (s+ and Pg, Db, Ml, mo) on a wheaton or e^wh background.
This will give you the advantage of less smuttiness then a bird on an e^b background)
So what is the basic structure?
Basically from my understanding it is a modification of a Buff Columbian base. Seeing as we dont have Buff Columbian we will have to make them. So Partridge male over Columbian hen will give us incomplete Buff Columbian in the f1 (Pg/pg+ Co/co+). They will be incomplete for the Columbian (Co). The Columbian gene will restrict the partridge brown base colour into a Buff, and push the patterning out of most of the feathering, leaving some in the hackles, saddle and wings. Breed the f1's back together and hatch a large amount and you should get some decent Buff Columbian. (See right)
Because the males in the f1 will be split for colour (S/s+) heterozygous they will throw both "red" and "silver" chicks from this cross, so as an added bonus you will get both Silver and Buff Columbian from the f1 cross, along with a variety of other things.
Simple ;)
Adding mottling into the Buff Columbian base will be tricky, you will need to carefully select a cross that preserves that pattern genetics you are trying to create. Ideally, mottled Columbian or mottled Partridge should be used. These are incredibly rare though. From here, once the mo/mo is pure with the Co/Co combination, then the base of
mille fleur is established on an e^b background.
Sounds easy right? Well genetically speaking it should be, if you have space to hatch out and raise hundreds of birds to get this variety started.
Let's look at a practical example.
We have mottling and we have partridge, i am fortunate enough to have both in one bird :) The struggle is with Columbian.
The Columbians i have seen here are not great at all, it is very difficult to find a pure Columbian from the ones that are available.
If you manage to get your hands on a decent one then by all means buy it. I have been looking for a decent one for 6 months now, and have only seen a few brassy roosters, and some very pale hens. There are other options available to get the Columbian gene into Pekins, one being Wyandotte and the other being Light Sussex bantams.
I would advise against both personally, but due to the complete lack of Columbian Pekins here, that may be our only option.
Ideally let's assume i find a Columbian hen who is pure for Co, unlikely yes, but possible.
So that would be a Partridge Cockerel split for mottled, cross with a Columbian hen, giving us incomplete Buff Columbians with genetics of
Pg/pg+
Co/co
Mo+/mo
Cross the split f1xf1, hatch a large number and you have a small chance of getting Mille Fleur birds to start off your project with. That would be e^b Co/Co pg+/pg+ and mo+mo+.
The chances involved here are small, but certainly do-able as a medium sized project, and if you have an incubator then all the better.
The stats are a 1/256 chance of getting it right from the f1 cross, very very small (0.390625%)
Crossing the f1 from the Buff Columbian and split Partridge should give you starting point birds.
4.6875% of black patterned gold MF cockerel.
4.6875% of black patterned yellow MF (Male is split for gold(S/s+), but still usable).
1.5625% of black patterned gold MF.
3.125% of black patterned gold (incomplete) MF.
That gives you roughly a 14% change of getting good starting birds (Or 9 Out of 64)from your second generation from there you will be well on your way in 2 years. With a further 5 or so to solidify the pattern and get it to
breed true.
Given space and time this is definitely something i want to do, i already have a partridge line carrying the mottling gene, my only problem would be hatching out the numbers, and keeping the cockerels.
Simple ;)
Adding mottling into the Buff Columbian base will be tricky, you will need to carefully select a cross that preserves that pattern genetics you are trying to create. Ideally, mottled Columbian or mottled Partridge should be used. These are incredibly rare though. From here, once the mo/mo is pure with the Co/Co combination, then the base of
mille fleur is established on an e^b background.
Sounds easy right? Well genetically speaking it should be, if you have space to hatch out and raise hundreds of birds to get this variety started.
Let's look at a practical example.
We have mottling and we have partridge, i am fortunate enough to have both in one bird :) The struggle is with Columbian.
The Columbians i have seen here are not great at all, it is very difficult to find a pure Columbian from the ones that are available.
If you manage to get your hands on a decent one then by all means buy it. I have been looking for a decent one for 6 months now, and have only seen a few brassy roosters, and some very pale hens. There are other options available to get the Columbian gene into Pekins, one being Wyandotte and the other being Light Sussex bantams.
I would advise against both personally, but due to the complete lack of Columbian Pekins here, that may be our only option.
Ideally let's assume i find a Columbian hen who is pure for Co, unlikely yes, but possible.
So that would be a Partridge Cockerel split for mottled, cross with a Columbian hen, giving us incomplete Buff Columbians with genetics of
Pg/pg+
Co/co
Mo+/mo
Cross the split f1xf1, hatch a large number and you have a small chance of getting Mille Fleur birds to start off your project with. That would be e^b Co/Co pg+/pg+ and mo+mo+.
The chances involved here are small, but certainly do-able as a medium sized project, and if you have an incubator then all the better.
The stats are a 1/256 chance of getting it right from the f1 cross, very very small (0.390625%)
Crossing the f1 from the Buff Columbian and split Partridge should give you starting point birds.
4.6875% of black patterned gold MF cockerel.
4.6875% of black patterned yellow MF (Male is split for gold(S/s+), but still usable).
1.5625% of black patterned gold MF.
3.125% of black patterned gold (incomplete) MF.
That gives you roughly a 14% change of getting good starting birds (Or 9 Out of 64)from your second generation from there you will be well on your way in 2 years. With a further 5 or so to solidify the pattern and get it to
breed true.
Given space and time this is definitely something i want to do, i already have a partridge line carrying the mottling gene, my only problem would be hatching out the numbers, and keeping the cockerels.