Both Black-Breasted Red (BBR) and Wheaten are common color patterns found in poultry, especially in game breeds like the Asil, Shamo, Old English Game, and American Gamefowl. While these two color patterns share some similarities, they have distinct genetic foundations and characteristics, especially when comparing male and female birds.

1. Black-Breasted Red (BBR)

Black-Breasted Red is characterized by the vivid contrast between a red body and black breast. It is a result of specific genes interacting to produce this coloration, and it is an essential color in the development of some gamefowl breeds.

Male BBR Characteristics:

• Body Color: Males typically have a rich red to golden-red body color, which can range from deep mahogany to a brighter, orange-red depending on the strain.

• Breast Color: The breast, however, remains black, giving the "black-breasted" appearance. This distinct black area is one of the defining traits of this color pattern.

• Hackle and Saddles: The male’s hackle (neck feathers) and saddle feathers are generally a shimmering gold or orange-red with dark edging.

• Tail Feathers: The tail feathers of the male are generally black, but the overall body color gives the male bird a striking, contrastive appearance.

Female BBR Characteristics:

• Body Color: Female birds usually have a more muted red or golden body, often more of a warm, golden-brown or light red.

• Breast Color: Unlike males, females often do not have the black breast but may exhibit a slightly darker hue on their chest compared to the rest of the body. This color can be a darker, almost coppery shade, but it's not black as the male’s breast.

• Hackles and Tail: Female hackles may be a lighter red with some darker feathering at the tips. Tails tend to be brown or reddish.

Genetics of Black-Breasted Red:

• Base Color Gene: The base color of Black-Breasted Red is determined by the E-locus (extension gene), which is primarily responsible for producing red or black pigments.

  • The e+ (wild type) allele is responsible for the red coloration in the bird's body.

• Shamos and Asil do NOT have e+ as a native allele. Therefore any version of BBR in these breeds is built on eWh (wheaten) OR the bird has been crossed with another breed making them e+/eWh and not pure for the variety. For example, female Shamos presenting as similar to BBR should more properly be called cinnamon wheaten. These cinnamon wheaten birds are eWh with mahogany.

2. Wheaten

The Wheaten color pattern is primarily characterized by distinctly brighter orange hackles and saddle feathers with darker feathering in the wings, tail, and hackles. White wing feathers often present which is considered a disqualification if you are showing APA sanctioned shows.

Male Wheaten Characteristics:

• Body Color: Male wheatens have a warm orange top color that ranges burnt orange to bright as fire!

• Wing and Tail Color: The wings, tail, and hackles often display darker feathering, black with green sheen. These darker feathers contrast with the lighter golden body, providing a beautiful, multi-toned appearance.

• Head and Hackles: The head is often more light-colored compared to the body, with a slight darker hue around the hackles and neck area.

Female Wheaten Characteristics:

• Body Color: Female wheatens exhibit a creamy hue, that tends to be more consistent across the body.

• Lighter Breast: The breast feathers are often more uniformly beige , lacking the full dark tail and wing feathers seen in males.

• Hackles and Tail: Hackles in females may have a brighter orange hue, and even some black feathers through the hackles and tail, but generally, females have a much more consistent and paler overall appearance compared to males.

Genetics of Wheaten:

The genetics behind the Wheaten color pattern are more complicated and involve the interaction of multiple genes.

• E-locus Involvement: eWh is a recessive allele at the E locus in chickens. Both parents must carry the eWh allele for offspring to express the wheaten phenotype.

• There are no other genes at all involved with the pattern only the base allele eWh.

Oriental Gamefowl and Wheaten Genetics

The Wheaten color pattern is particularly notable in Oriental gamefowl breeds like the Asil and Shamo. These birds are known for their hardiness, fighting instincts, and beauty in exhibition. The wheaten color in these birds is important not just as a visual trait but also as a characteristic of breeding that reflects a long history of selective breeding. The genetic makeup of Oriental gamefowl is largely responsible for the maintenance of the wheaten gene, which is tightly linked to their phenotype.

• Genetic Complexity: Oriental gamefowl breeders are particularly focused on preserving the purity of the color, which is the result of generations of selective breeding.

• Beware of the American Standard: Wheaten Oriental gamefowl are prized for their overall appearance, which showcases a blend of cultural importance, history, and aesthetics. The American Standard of Perfection has some misleading artistic renderings of colors (particularly BBR) that show this color looking like it is built on e+/eWh when it should still be eWh/eWh in a pure Asil or Shamo.

A difficult reality is that BBR and Wheaten are essentially genetically identical in Orientals and visually basically the same as well. Subtle differences defined in the SOP is really the only thing separating these two color patterns. In Old English Game the color BBR is genetically and visually entirely separate and in Shamo and Asil it is one in the same.

Visual differences per the American Standard, paraphrased:

Black Breasted Red Male:

• Head reddish maroon, hackle dark red to maroon, front of neck black

• Back dark reddish maroon, saddle dark red

• Tail black/greenish

• Wing fronts are black, bows dark red, coverts black forming wide bar

• Breast body and stern are to be black

Wheaten Male:

• Head rich orange without any black or brown, hackle orange, front of neck black with orange

• Back deep red and orange, saddle orange without black or brown

• Tail black with some red shafting/edging’

• Wing black bows, red coverts

• Breast body and stern black

European Standard:

Calls for any combination of red and black to be acceptable with no color disqualifications of any kind for any color.

References:

1. Fletcher, D. (2002). "Genetics of Poultry Color." Poultry Science Review, Volume 11.

2. Bisset, S. (2008). "Poultry Genetics and Breeding." Oxford University Press.

3. Hodges, A. (2016). "The American Gamefowl: Genetics and Breeding Practices." Backyard Poultry Journal.

4. Crawford, R. D. (1990). "Poultry Breeding and Genetics." Elsevier Publishing.

These sources provide in-depth exploration of poultry genetics and the specific color patterns, particularly concerning gamefowl genetics, which helps in understanding the distinctiveness of these colors.

Special thanks to Catherine Stasevich and her color genetics expertise.