Spotted goats: names and types of colors and what affects coat color

In addition to goats with a solid color of one color, there are animals with marks. They are called "speckled goats" because of the specks that cover them. Obtaining a certain color is not a random process, but obeys genetic laws. By crossing certain types of goats, you can get a large palette of goat hair colors. Knowing the laws of genetics, you can get the desired mottled color.

What affects the color of a goat

Genetics is the basis of all processes of "coloring". Interacting with each other, genes give goats one or another shade of wool. "Retransmission" of this interaction in the body of a goat is carried out by melanin.This pigment has a complex structure and is divided into 2 subspecies: zumelanin and pheomelanin.

Zumelanin "generates" black color, and pheomelanin is responsible for the "introduction" of red, yellow, orange. The color depends on the ratio of these types of melanin in the animal's body.

The distribution of matter, the ratios between its components are controlled by genes. Zumelanin contributes the most to coat color. Its amount is determined by the genes located in the A locus.

The chromosome is divided into separate sections called "loci". Each area is assigned a Latin letter. Genes are located at certain loci. In addition to area A, the genes located in B, S, M are also responsible for the shade of wool. The gene can take various forms or alleles.

An animal has 2 chromosomes. In each of them, different alleles are located at the loci responsible for coat color. The shade depends on their combination. Alleles can be dominant or recessive.Depending on their interaction, dominant traits can completely suppress recessive traits or will form a joint tandem.

Types of goat colors

A locus contains alleles that change the color of a goat from white to black. The main or dominant color is white, the corresponding allele is designated "Awt". The table below shows all gene variants at the A locus. The first, white allele, is the main or dominant one. As it decreases in the table, the importance of a gene decreases. If the tandem consists of two different alleles, then the one above will be decisive.

Usually the animal has a light belly, face, legs.Sable3Abm 4 5 Similar to the previous type, but has a light back , belly.Wild6AbAlso similar to Asr, but with broad dark badger stripes on the lower abdomen and back.Badger markings 7 Tan sides8 AscDark specks here located on the legs and in front, light - on the face. Mottled gray Similar to the previous type, but darkened legs. 14AsmUniform color, but with white or gray markings on tail, head, legs. Swiss or Toggenburg markings15AebLooks like Asm, but the specks are light or light brown. Eyebrows16 AtBlack with red specks. Tan17 Dim Side Stripes Mahogany ArcThe body is all dark, only there are red areas on the cheeks.Red cheeks 21AaA completely black animal, no inclusions.Black

	Allele designation	Resulting color	Color names
1	Awt	White , maybe yellow	White
2	Asb
	Similar to Awt, but with dark markings on head, back or chest.	Black mask
Asr	Dark yellow or brown, with stripes on the lower body or on the head.	Caramel
A+
Ats	Similar to Ab, but the stripes run along the silhouette of the animal, bordering the torso.
	Arp	Here the entire front is dark, and the back is light with dark patches.	Repartida
10	Apk	"Reverse" to Arp.Front - light, back - black. There are 2 dark markings on the head.	Symbiosis of small dark and white speckles all over the body, except for the neck, head, legs.
	12	Ag	Here the speckles are distributed all over the body. Dark areas are located on the legs and head. Aga
Gray agouti
		Afsh	Dark with red stripes.
	18	Als	Similar to Afsh, but legs are lighter.
	19	Am	Mixed black and red.
	20

Besides the A region in the chromosome, B, S, M affect the color. B changes color to black or brown. If a goat has black genes, then this locus changes their shades of brown. There are 4 B variants in total. The S locus affects whether the goat will be a solid color or spotted, speckled. A large "S" indicates a solid color, while a small "S" indicates a spotted one. M affects the color saturation. The MM allele increases saturation, while Mm weakens it.

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