Genetics question

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dozzie

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If I want to breed from my chestnut mare, how would I raise the chances of

a) breeding a chestnut
b) breeding a bay

Is the chestnut gene dominant or recessive?

Thanks to anyone who can help!!! My friend and I were puzzling over it and I wouldnt really be bothered what colour so long as all was ok but we were just wondering!!!
 
chestnut is recessive so to guarantee a chestnut cross to a chestnut, then you will only get chestnut. If you want a bay use a bay stallion, you'd have a 50% chance of a bay and the other 50% depends what the bay carries, if its chesnut you'd get chestnut, if its black you'd get a 'fading' black (goes brownish to some degree in sunlight)... and so on, hope this makes sense.
 
Chestnut x chestnut = chestnut

chestnut x bay = bay IF the bay is homozygous for bay (so you'd have to know previous matings - if it's ever thrown a chestnut, it's not homozygous)

chestnut x bay = chestnut, bay, black or brown if the bay is NOT homozygous - the colour then depends on whatever else it carries.

grey is dominant to everything - avoid it if you don't want a grey foal (high chance of melanomas before it's ten, why would you want to do that?)

Tobiano is dominant but there aren't many GOOD homozygous tobiano stallions

creme gene is dominant, homozygous form is cremello/perlino. Heterozygous form of chestnut is palomino, of bay is buckskin, of black/brown is smokey black.

roan is dominant - but cannot be homozygous (lethal gene)

dun is dominant - but I have yet to find a true homozygous dun stallion. THere's a quarterhorse standing at Twemlows hall who might be... If anyone knows of any others, do let me know

make sense?

E
 
Wow you are a specialist!!!

I must admit its 20 years since I studied genetics but get the idea. I did think chestnut was recessive purely because you see so many more bays, and I love bays. I love my chestnut too!!! Def wouldnt want a grey or roan, no offence but essentially Im a bay person!!! Despite having a cream dun and a chestnut!!

So if I put her to a bay I would get either bay or something else and if I put her to a chestnut I would get a chestnut! Thanks guys. Really helpful. Hopefully I wont have to be searching for a husband for her in the very near future but Im not too sure.
frown.gif
 
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