Feathering Genetics

[Chocoboko]

Hello!

I'm trying to find information on chicken feather length and type genetics. I know there are multiple genes that control feather length. From what I'm aware, there are various non-molting genes that control feather length and different genes that also determine what areas of the body it is expressed. Ex: Onagadori vs Phoenix/Yokohama vs Genetic Hackle. Tell me more! Have the various genes been determined or is this something that breeders are still trying to discover?

I've also heard that feathering type can also affect feather length expression, such as soft vs hard feathered. I have heard of silkies being incorporated into breeding programs to improve feather quality in types such as the genetic hackle. Anyone have any information regarding the correlation? I know the silkied trait deletes the hooked barbicels that keep the feathers webbed together, does it also affect the feather shaft/quill? Could you theoretically breed a silkied yokohama/sumatra/etc. that maintains the other SOP traits? Or a long-tailed silkie?

Lastly, I've heard that self-blue/lavender can cause brittle/ratty feathering and bald patches around the shoulders if not occasionally bred back to black. Is this a color gene that can present in long feathered chickens without undermining the feather quality by periodically breeding back to black or splits? I rarely hear of the problem in silkies, is that because the down-like feather type masks the less severe feather quality issues?

Info dump me please! I love genetics (and fluffy chickens)!

 

[Debbie292d]

See if this post helps at all. I'm hoping so!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/dominant-and-recessive-genes-feathers.1082509/post-16574279

 

[Chocoboko]

See if this post helps at all. I'm hoping so!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/dominant-and-recessive-genes-feathers.1082509/post-16574279

Thanks for the link! Unfortunately it doesn't really go over how the hookless gene interacts with the nonmoulting gene or lavender, but it's a good reference regarding its recessive inheritance!

 

[SourRoses]

I don't have the info you want, but some thoughts.

I don't believe Silkies were ever a part of the Genetic Hackle breeding program. The Silkie gene being recessive, it either makes completely hookless feathering or splits with completely normal feathering.
But my Genetic Hackle show an in-between state. It's like the hooks come apart very easy. But they can still groom or settle them smooth. So it seems like a different genetic basis.

As for the Shredder gene associated with Lavender, I doubt there's a possible beneficial expression of it. In many cases, it twists the filaments which makes for a clumpy, ragged look.
In Orpingtons, not enough breeding work has been done to clean the Shredder gene out of Lavender, like has been done pretty well with Ameraucana. But the soft feathering of Orpingtons makes the appearance of Shredder even worse.


@NagemTX Have you any thoughts in regards to the long feather gene part of this?

 

[NagemTX]

I don't have the info you want, but some thoughts.

I don't believe Silkies were ever a part of the Genetic Hackle breeding program. The Silkie gene being recessive, it either makes completely hookless feathering or splits with completely normal feathering.
But my Genetic Hackle show an in-between state. It's like the hooks come apart very easy. But they can still groom or settle them smooth. So it seems like a different genetic basis.

View attachment 3777879


As for the Shredder gene associated with Lavender, I doubt there's a possible beneficial expression of it. In many cases, it twists the filaments which makes for a clumpy, ragged look.
In Orpingtons, not enough breeding work has been done to clean the Shredder gene out of Lavender, like has been done pretty well with Ameraucana. But the soft feathering of Orpingtons makes the appearance of Shredder even worse.


@NagemTX Have you any thoughts in regards to the long feather gene part of this?

I've been told on another forum that the long tails of Phoenixs are recessive. I need to test my mixes to be sure on this. I'm not far into my project due to housing issues for the birds. We've had some bad weather that's caused flooding of the pens so everyone is pretty much free ranging together at the moment. Will have that rectified in a few months.

 

[NatJ]

I've been told on another forum that the long tails of Phoenixs are recessive. I need to test my mixes to be sure on this. I'm not far into my project due to housing issues for the birds. We've had some bad weather that's caused flooding of the pens so everyone is pretty much free ranging together at the moment. Will have that rectified in a few months.

I read somewhere else that one gene is dominant (makes the feathers keep growing, rather than stopping at a certain length) and another gene is recessive (prevents the tail feathers from molting each year, which means they get longer overall).

Oh, maybe this is where I found it. This page has a chart of genes, with just a line or so about each one:
https://kippenjungle.nl/sellers/page3.html

Long tail Gt, mt The Gt gene (dominant) allows continual growth of tail and saddle feathers. The mt gene allows certain tail and saddle feathers to be nonmolting.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I've been told on another forum that the long tails of Phoenixs are recessive. I need to test my mixes to be sure on this. I'm not far into my project due to housing issues for the birds. We've had some bad weather that's caused flooding of the pens so everyone is pretty much free ranging together at the moment. Will have that rectified in a few months.

They seem recessive-ish based on my mixes. Nice tails at a glance, but not phoenix tails

 

[NagemTX]

I read somewhere else that one gene is dominant (makes the feathers keep growing, rather than stopping at a certain length) and another gene is recessive (prevents the tail feathers from molting each year, which means they get longer overall).

Oh, maybe this is where I found it. This page has a chart of genes, with just a line or so about each one:
https://kippenjungle.nl/sellers/page3.html

There are more genes involved that make the tail fuller as well.

 

[SourRoses]

There are more genes involved that make the tail fuller as well.

Is that fuller due to more feathers than normal?

 

[NagemTX]

Is that fuller due to more feathers than normal?

Yes.