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Lavender

Plumage

Part Affected

Autosomal, Recessive

Inheritance

UNKN

Chromosome

LAV

Locus

MLPF

Scientific Gene

Quick Look:

Description:

Lavender is a plumage diluter in coturnix that strips both pheomelanin (red pigment) and eumelanin (black pigment) from the birds feathers and turns it to a dusty grey (1). It was originally discovered in 2002 or earlier in Minvielle's French lab and called Bleu (2), where it was studied against chicken genes and found to be homologous with chickens (the same gene across species) (2). It was later renamed and classified as Lavender.


In homozygous form, Lavender will appear any range of grey, with the main pattern showing through. Reddish tones around the neck are also common, but not required. It tends to have more base pattern and color than hetero silver would when on a Pharaoh background, and also doesn't have white wingtips unless it has white winged pied or tuxedo dilutions over it. Because Lavender is recessive, you will not see it in heterozygous form. 

Lavender also has been found (in laboratory conditions) to have a slightly higher increase in feed intake and lower overall body temperature and weight when compared to pharaoh under the same conditions. Breeders and scientists have reported Lavender lines having smaller weights and being more fragile overall, suggesting that the gene is pleiotropic (5)(6).

It is unknown how prominent Lavender is as a whole in the United States, or in other countries across the world. It has been reported to be mixed into the SSC collection, though it is not isolated and there are no "true" Lavender lines being publically sold in the US. A majority of grey birds are actually heterozygous Silver and Andalusian instead of lavender. It is confirmed to be in public hands as late as 2024 (6).

Lavender can look nearly identical to the Andalusian, silver, and Blau mutations, as all three have a wide range of grey colors. All three are also potentially mixed in the Schofield Silver Collection bloodline.  The best way to tell them apart is by their genetic background and their offspring. 


The gene symbol is lav, and the order of dominance is Wildtype > Lavender.


Breeding with Lavender:

Lavender x Lavender = 100% Lavender

(lav/lav x lav/lav = 100% lav/lav)

Lavender x Wildtype = 100% Lav Carriers

(lav/lav x lav+/lav+ = 100% lav/lav+)

Lavender x Carrier = 50% Lavender, 50% Carriers

(lav/lav x lav/lav+ = 50% lav/lav, 50% lav/lav+)

Carrier x Carrier = 25% Lavender, 50% Carrier, 25% Wildtype

(lav/lav+ x lav/lav+ = 25% lav/lav, 50% lav/lav+, 25% lav+/lav+)

Carrier x Wildtype = 50% Carrier, 50% Wildtype

(lav/lav+ x lav+/lav+ = 50% lav/lav+, 50% lav+/lav+)

References & Further Reading

  1. Minvielle, Francis & Gourichon, David & Monvoisin, Jean. (2003). Effects of Two-Locus Combinations, Using the Roux, Lavender, and Beige Mutations, on Plumage Color of Japanese Quail. The Journal of heredity. 94. 517-22. 10.1093/jhered/esg091.

  2. Minvielle, Francis, David Gourichon, and Jean Louis Monvoisin. "Testing homology of loci for two plumage colors,“lavender” and “recessive white,” with chicken and Japanese quail hybrids." Journal of Heredity 93.1 (2002): 73-76.

  3. (PDF) Effects of Two-Locus Combinations, Using the Roux, Lavender, and Beige Mutations, on Plumage Color of Japanese Quail. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8946340_Effects_of_Two-Locus_Combinations_Using_the_Roux_Lavender_and_Beige_Mutations_on_Plumage_Color_of_Japanese_Quail [accessed May 22 2024].

  4. Homma, Kazutaka, Hirovuki Oki, and Gen Watanabe. "A plumage color mutation in Japanese quail associated with female specific sterility due to oviduct dysfunction." Japanese Journal of Animal Reproduction 31 (1985): 84-89.

  5. Bed’hom, Bertrand, et al. "The lavender plumage colour in Japanese quail is associated with a complex mutation in the region of MLPH that is related to differences in growth, feed consumption and body temperature." BMC genomics 13 (2012): 1-10.

  6. Karel Schaessens, breeder of Lavender. Personal communications with author. 9/11/2024.

Gallery of Images

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