What Color To Expect From a Breeding

[kigermamma]

Both of my filly's parents are dun, however she is a line back bay. If I bred her to a dun at some point, what color could I expect from her foal? Is there any way to know? Just curious about how the dun gene works

[lwood92]

I don't know if this helps you or not, but here is a link to a color calculator. www.horsetesting.com/CCalculator1.asp It is fun to play with all the different options. Hope it helps you!

[kigercat]

the possibilities are Lots of stuff LOL

A lot depends on the markers of the sire and dam. Since she is bay she has at least one agouti (but could be homozygous for agouti meaning she will always pass that on). She may or may not be homozygous for black, or she could have a black and a red gene. Black is dominate over red and add agouti you get the bay...add dun and you get dun.

If the sire is homozygous for dun you will get dun factor (dun, grulla or red dun) all depending on the sires base colors. Does he carry both black and red gene? Since he is dun he has at least one agouti.


So.......depending on all that stuff (on the assumption that both parent caries a red and a black, and is not homozygous for agouti and the sire is not homozygous for dun) you could get.

sorrel or red dun
bay or dun
black or grulla

There is another post I started asking if there was a dun test out yet that references UC Davis. www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/horse.php
They DO have tests that will tell you your horses base colors and agouti factor. If you know that you have half the puzzle figured out on what your mare can contribute.
If say for example they come back and tell you she is homozygous agouti (will always pass that) and has both the red and black marker
Your options from her are 50% she passes the red and 50% she passes the black and 100% she passes the agouti...no dun... so sorrel or bay depending what the sire markers are, never black because the agouti will push the black off the body to the points making bay.

Fascinating stuff really and just when you think you have it figured out you get something completely different.

[kigermamma]

This is super fascinating stuff! Thank you both for your input. I think I will do the dun test just for curiosity's sake at least.

[fantasykiger]

I have a bay mare, not a Dun, she has only produced 2 bay foals out of 6 breedings to Dun sires.

[DianneC]

If your mare is dark dun she also has the sooty gene (makes dun dark dun and grulla very dark). If you want dun then make sure the sire has been bred to none dun horses and has never had a solid foal. The dun gene is dominant, so if the sire has two dun genes the foal will be some form of dun. Because a horse is dun, it may have one dun gene or two - you can't tell except by testing (somewhat accurate) or more accurately if he has ever had a solid foal. If your mare is dark dun with the sooty gene she has a 50% chance of passing that gene on, giving you a darker version of the coat color. But there is also a 50% chance of a regular dun coat color provided the sire gives a dun gene.