INHERITANCE OF COLOR IN PIGEONS BY GARY SMITH

The King pigeon hobby has three (3) base colors; ash red, blue/black (black is spread blue), and brown in that order of dominance and the dilution of each color. Three patterns; check, bar, and barless in that order of dominance (I am not aware of any barless kings). We also have spread birds (solid colors). Spread hides the true pattern of the bird, it is still either a check or bar patterned bird. We also have white’s; white is not a color, it is the absence of color; the bird is still either ash red, blue/back, or brown and has a pattern; either check or bar. In order to get spread colored offspring, at least one of the parents must be spread (white and recessive red are not true spread, so it is not necessary to have a spread parent to get a white or recessive red young).


Symbols I use to identify my birds:

Color check pattern bar pattern spread
Ash Red ash red check (ARC) ash red bar (ARB) spread ash (SA)

Ash Yellow ash yellow check(AYC) ash yellow bar(AYB) spread ash yellow(SAY)


Blue/ blue check (BKC) blue bar (BB)

Black black check (BKC) black (BLK)

True Silver/ true silver check(TSC) true silver bar (TSB)

Dun dun (DUN)


Brown brown check (SC) silver bar (SB) brown (BRN)

Khaki khaki check (KC) khaki bar (KB) khaki (KH)


Indigo = /I example: ARC/I

Grizzle = /GZL ARC/GZL

Opal = /Op BLK/Op

Faded = /f BKC/f

Reduced = /r BB/r

Pale = /p BRN/p

Recessive red = RR RR

Recessive Yellow = RY RY

Recessive Gold = RG RG

White = WHT WHT

Any other color = /AOC ARC/AOC


Then we have factors; indigo, opal, grizzle, faded, reduced, toy stencil, milky, pale, and recessive red to mention a few. These factors distort or change the appearance of the true color of the bird, which must be one of the three main colors. Outcrosses from other breeds can produce almond/magnani colored birds, however our three main colors are it for most Kings. I see in our June bulletin the Cajun King Club is having a RARE Futurity to include Almonds with the 3rd and 4th District Show in November. All I really

know about Almond/Magnani is that it is dominate to all our standard King colors. So I assume that all 1st generation offspring would be almond and the cocks would carry a 2nd color of one of our standard King colors.


When speaking in terms of our base colors, keep in mind that the cock bird may have

and often does have a second color, the one you see and the one he may carry. The same

is true for a white or recessive red cock, except you will not see either color. Yes, you can indeed have a white or recessive red cock (for example) hides a first color of ash red,

and a second color of black or brown. These colors will express themselves when the bird is mated to a non white or non recessive red. The cock birds color (the one you see) will always be the color of most dominance, so you will never get a brown cock that carries black or ash red, nor will you get a black cock that carries ash red. The hen does not carry a second color nor dilution, but may carry a second pattern (check carrying bar). The cock may carry a second pattern and carry dilution.


Order of dominance:

Intense color Dilution Symbols for chart
1st Ash red Ash yellow AR AY

2nd Blue/Black True Silver/Dun B/B TS/Dun

3rd Brown Khaki BRN Kh


If the cock carries dilution, he should produce half the hens dilute of his two colors when mated to an intense hen. A dilute cock on an intense hen will have 100% dilute hens, and 100% intense cocks , which all carry dilution. A mating of an intense cock and a dilute hen will produce 100% intense young, but all the cocks will carry dilution. A mating of an intense cock that carries dilution to a dilute hen will produce both intense and dilute young of either sex. Mating a dilute cock to a dilute hen produces 100% dilute young.


* = Cock carries dilution.

Scenarios of intense/dilution matings:

Cock Hen Young expectations

1. Intense Intense = 100% of young intense

2. Intense* Intense = C- 100% intense, 50% *

H- 50% intense, 50% dilute

3. Intense Dilute = C- 100% intense*, H- 100% intense

4. Intense* Dilute = C- 50% intense*, 50% dilute

H- 50% intense, 50% dilute

5. Dilute Intense = C- 100% intense*, H-100% dilute

6. Dilute Dilute = 100% of young dilute


When the cock throws either his first or second color recessive to the hens color, or the hens color is recessive to either of the cocks two colors, all baby cocks second color will be that of the recessive color……….Example; AR cock carries B/B mated to a BRN hen…if the young cock is AR or B/B he will carry BRN, because BRN is recessive

to both of his color options. The cock will contribute one color gene for the young, the hen may or may not contribute a color gene. When she does the young will be cocks, when she doesn’t the young will be hens. So a cock has (+ +) two colors genes, and a hen has (+ -) one color gene. Any time the hen throws the blank (-), the young will be a hen because it has only one color. If the cock has two colors the same, then he is known as being homozygous in color, meaning he has no second color, or is pure in color.


Mating scenarios:

COCK HEN Young expectations

Color 1st + 2nd + Color 1st+ 2nd - Cocks 1st + 2nd + Hens

1. C- AR (ar) H- AR = C- AR(ar) H- AR

2. C- AR (b/b) H- AR = C- AR(ar), AR(b/b) H- AR, B/B

3. C- AR (brn) H- AR = C- AR(ar), AR(brn) H- AR, BRN

4. C- AR (ar) H- AY = C- AR(ar)* H- AR

5. C- AR (b/b) H- AY = C- AR(ar)*, AR(b/b)* H- AR, B/B

6. C- AR (brn) H- AY = C- AR(ar)*, AR(brn)* H- AR, BRN

7. C- AR (ar) H- B/B = C- AR(b/b) H- AR

8. C- AR (b/b) H- B/B = C- AR(b/b), B/B(b/b) H- AR, B/B

9. C- AR (brn) H- B/B = C- AR(b/b), B/B(brn) H- AR, BRN

10. C- AR (ar) H- TS = C- AR(b/b)* H- AR

11. C- AR (b/b) H- TS = C- AR(b/b)*, B/B(b/b)* H- AR, B/B

12. C- AR (brn) H- TS = C- AR(b/b)*, B/B(brn)* H- AR, BRN

13. C- AR (ar) H- BRN = C- AR(brn) H- AR

14. C- AR (b/b) H- BRN = C- AR(brn), B/B(brn) H- AR, B/B

15. C- AR (brn) H- BRN = C- AR(brn), BRN(brn) H- AR, BRN

16. C- AR (ar) H- Kh = C- AR(brn)* H- AR

17. C- AR (b/b) H- Kh = C- AR(brn)*, B/B(brn)* H- AR, B/B

18. C- AR (brn) H- Kh = C- AR(brn)*, BRN(brn)* H- AR, BRN

19. C- AY (ay) H- AR = C- AR(ar)* H- AY

20. C- AY (ts) H- AR = C- AR(ar)*, AR(b/b)* H- AY, TS

21. C- AY (kh) H- AR = C- AR(ar)*, AR(brn)* H- AY, Kh

22. C- AY (ay) H- AY = C- AY(ay) H- AY

23. C- AY (ts) H- AY = C- AY(ay), AY(ts) H-AY, TS

24. C- AY (kh) H- AY = C- AY(ay). AY(kh) H- AY, Kh

25 C- AY (ay) H- B/B = C- AR(b/b)* H- AY

26. C- AY (ts) H- B/B = C- AR(b/b)*, B/B(b/b)* H- AY, TS

27. C- AY (kh) H- B/B = C- AR(b/b)*, B/B(brn)* H- AY, Kh

28. C- AY (ay) H- TS = C- AY(ts) H- AY

29. C- AY (ts) H- TS = C- AY(ts), TS(ts) H- AY, TS

30. C- AY (kh) H- TS = C- AY(ts), TS(kh) H- AY, Kh

31. C- AY (ay) H- BRN = C- AR(brn)* H- AY

32. C- AY (ts) H- BRN = C- AR(brn)*, B/B(brn)* H- AY, TS

33. C- AY (kh) H- BRN = C- AR(brn)*, BRN(brn)* H- AY, Kh

34. C- AY (ay) H- Kh = C- AY(kh) H- AY

35. C- AY (ts) H- Kh = C- AY(kh), TS(kh) H- AY, TS

36. C- AY (kh) H- Kh = C- AY(kh), Kh(kh) H- AY, Kh

37. C- B/B (b/b) H- AR = C- AR(b/b) H- B/B

38. C- B/B (brn) H- AR = C- AR(b/b), AR(brn) H- B/B, BRN

39. C- B/B (b/b) H- AY = C- AR(b/b)* H- B/B

40. C- B/B (brn) H- AY = C- AR(b/b)*, AR(brn)* H- B/B, BRN

41. C- TS (ts) H- AR = C- AR(b/b)* H- TS

42. C- TS (kh) H- AR = C- AR(b/b)*, AR(brn)* H- TS, Kh

43. C- TS (ts) H- AY = C- AY(ts) H- TS

44. C- TS (kh) H- AY = C- AY(ts), AY(kh) H- TS, Kh

45. C- B/B (b/b) H- B/B = C- B/B(b/b) H- B/B

46. C- B/B (brn) H- B/B = C- B/B(b/b), B/B(brn) H- B/B, BRN

47. C- B/B (b/b) H- TS = C- B/B(b/b)* H- B/B

48. C- B/B (brn) H- TS = C- B/B(b/b)*, B/B(brn)* H- B/B, BRN

49. C- TS (ts) H- B/B = C- B/B(b/b)* H- TS

50. C- TS (kh) H- B/B = C- B/B(b/b)*, B/B(brn)* H- TS, Kh

51. C- TS (ts) H- TS = C- TS(ts) H- TS

52. C- TS (kh) H- TS = C- TS(ts), TS(kh) H- TS, Kh

53. C- B/B (b/b) H- BRN = C- B/B(brn) H- B/B

54. C- B/B (brn) H- BRN = C- B/B(brn), BRN(brn) H-B/B, BRN

55. C- B/B (b/b) H- Kh = C- B/B(brn)* H- B/B

56. C- B/B (brn) H- Kh = C- B/B(brn)*, BRN(brn)* H- B/B, BRN

57. C- TS (ts) H- BRN = C- B/B(brn)* H- TS

58. C- TS (kh) H- BRN = C- B/B(brn)*, BRN(brn)* H- TS, Kh

59. C- TS (ts) H- Kh = C- TS(kh) H- TS

60. C- TS (kh) H- Kh = C- TS(kh), Kh(kh) H- TS, Kh

61. C- BRN (brn) H- AR = C- AR(brn) H- BRN

62. C- BRN (brn) H-B/B = C- B/B(brn) H- BRN

63. C- BRN (brn) H- BRN = C- BRN(brn) H- BRN

64. C- BRN (brn) H- AY = C- AR(brn)* H- BRN

65. C- BRN (brn) H- TS = C- B/B(brn)* H- BRN

66. C- BRN (brn) H- Kh = C- BRN(brn)* H- BRN

67. C- Kh (kh) H- AR = C- AR(brn)* H- Kh

68. C- Kh (kh) H- B/B = C- B/B(brn)* H- Kh

69. C- Kh (kh) H- BRN = C- BRN(brn)* H- Kh

70. C- Kh (kh) H- AY = C- AY(kh) H- Kh

71. C- Kh (kh) H- TS = C- TS(kh) H- Kh

72. C- Kh (kh) H- Kh = C- Kh(kh) H- Kh


Any time you mate a cock to a hen of a color with higher dominance, it is a sex linked mating and the baby hens will be one of the colors of their father, and the baby cocks will be the color of their mother. It is also a sex linked mating to put a dilute cock on an intense hen, because dilution is recessive to intense. The baby cocks will be intense and all hens will be dilute. This does not apply to patterns; check is always dominate to bar. Although the color charts above should be accurate in 99% of all pairings, I will say that seven (7) times in 16 years Mother Nature has produced ash red young in my loft out of pairs that were B/B x BRN combinations………….all turned out to be hens……….this is not supposed to happen! It is important to understand that when it comes to Mother Nature and pigeon colors, “there are no absolutes. “

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