THEORETICAL EXPECTATIONS FOR
PIGEON MATINGS USING DILUTION by Frank Mosca
In these table, I list the cock pigeon's genetic contribution down the left side and the hen pigeon's across the top.
Example
Let's take a:
Homozygous Ash-red Cock   (BA//BA)
 X
a wild-type Hen  (+.)
(In this case, wild-type means any blue/black hen, pattern immaterial)
 
           +            .
       BA          BA//+        BA.
       BA          BA//+        BA.
Youngsters bred from this mating will be 100% ash-red birds.
The 50% which are cocks will be heterozygous (BA//+).  Phenotypically, these are often splotched with black fleck marks throughout the flights, tail and plumage and these increase in number as the birds age.
The cock's contribution is read top to bottom on the left side of the table. In this case,  BA and BA
The hen's is read right to left across the top of the table. In this case,
+ and .
Theoretical expectations for progeny are figured by putting whatever intersects at a particular location into the boxes left over. I am using a dot (.) to indicate the small tag a hen has.  One more thing.  Wild-type is always referred to.  If I'm discussing dilution, it means the wild-type condition to that or intense coloration.  If I'm discussing Indigo, it means the wild-type condition to that or non-indigo. If I'm discussing pearl eyes, it means the wild-type condition to that or orange eyes, and so on.
 
 Dilution (d)
Sex-linked recessive
Wild-type cock x dilute hen
(color immaterial)
 +//+  x   d.
 
         d         .
       +        +d        +.
       +        +d        +.
Expectations:  50% Heterozygous dilute cocks
                                                               50% wild-type hens

                                   Thus all cocks from this mating will be intense colored but carry dilution.
                                   All hens from this mating will be intense colored and NOT carry dilution.

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Heterozygous dilute cock x dilute hen
(color immaterial)
+//d  x  d.
 
d           .
         +          +d          +.
         d          dd          d.
                                        Expectations:  25% Heterozygous dilute cocks
                                                              25% Wild-type hens
                                                              25% dilute cocks
                                                              25% dilute hens
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homozygous dilute cock x wild-type hen
(color immaterial)
d//d  x +.
 
           +          .
      d           d+         d.
      d           d+         d.
                                        Expectations:  50% heterozygous dilute cocks
                                                              50% dilute hens.
                                        Thus: all hens from this mating will be dilutes:
                                                 all cocks will carry dilute.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heterozygous dilute cock x wild-type hen
(color immaterial)
+//d  x  d.
 
+           .
         +          ++          +.
         d          d+          d.
                                        Expectations:  25% Homozygous wild-type cocks
                                                              25% Wild-type hens
                                                              25% Heterozygous cocks, carrying dilution
                                                              25% dilute hens
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The above tables work no matter what the color of the bird - e.g:
  1. an almond cock (wild-type) mated to a dun (dilute) hen.
  2. an ash-red cock carrying dilution (Heterozygous dilute cock) mated to cream bar (dilute) hen.
  3. a yellow (homozygous dilute cock) mated to an ash-red (wild-type) hen.
  4. a black cock carrying dilution (Heterozygous dilute cock)  mated to a recessive red (wild-type) hen.
     
 
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