General genetics questions...

[Fallenone05]

So I'm *very* new to genetics and breeding guidelines. My flock now is just some EE mutts and I'm not looking to just jump into guideline breeding or anything, but I did have questions about genetics that maybe can be answered.

Question 1 -
One of my adult females has a crooked back tail. It leans slightly to the left. I thought it was because of a broken tail or something, as she belonged to someone else when I purchased her. She was missing tailfeathers until she molted, revealing her tail is crooked.

I hatched some babies this year and noticed that only ONE of my entire hatch of 12 babies, one hen has crooked tail feathers that lean about the same angle and to the same direction as my adult. I'm definitely under the assumption that she is the mom to this one hen. What could cause a crooked tail? Can a crooked tail really be genetic?

Question 2 -
Someone in a thread suggested that roosters with wide-leg spaces are desirable and that roosters with legs too close together aren't as desirable. What about the leg spacing makes a bird more desirable?

Question 3 -
I've looked up some genetics websites but they're above my knowledge level and I don't really understand it. Is there a place that, essentially, dumbs down the lingo and explains it to a novice really easily?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Wide legs on girls means (usually) larger eggs and easier egg laying. And in my experience, crooked tails can be genetic

 

[Sally PB]

I've looked up some genetics websites but they're above my knowledge level and I don't really understand it. Is there a place that, essentially, dumbs down the lingo and explains it to a novice really easily?

Oh man, I need this too. Gonna be interested in anything anyone can find to help us newbs.

 

[Ruthster55]

Yes, I think your hen and (probably) her daughter have wry tail. That is genetic.

In a small egg-laying flock, wry tail doesn’t significantly affect the bird, except when she is flying up to a high roost.

However, if you want to start breeding for better birds, you would need to cull the ones with wry tail, so they don’t breed and give the future chicks wry tails.

Wry tail is a major, disqualifying fault in breed standards.

By the way, I have a cockerel with a right-leaning wry tail. Sorry, he doesn’t cancel out your left-leaning wry tails. That would be so much fun if it were possible!

Am hatching enough with broody hens that this cockerel will be part of a meal soon.

 

[Fallenone05]

Yes, I think your hen and (probably) her daughter have wry tail. That is genetic.

In a small egg-laying flock, wry tail doesn’t significantly affect the bird, except when she is flying up to a high roost.

However, if you want to start breeding for better birds, you would need to cull the ones with wry tail, so they don’t breed and give the future chicks wry tails.

Wry tail is a major, disqualifying fault in breed standards.

By the way, I have a cockerel with a right-leaning wry tail. Sorry, he doesn’t cancel out your left-leaning wry tails. That would be so much fun if it were possible!

Am hatching enough with broody hens that this cockerel will be part of a meal soon.

View attachment 2378281

I love him! If only they did cancel each other out. I think they'd make some interesting lil babies!

Thank you for the info though. I really appreciate it. I also just learned about squirrel tails and split tails while googling wry tails. Knowledge is power.

 

[Ruthster55]

I love him! If only they did cancel each other out. I think they'd make some interesting lil babies!

Thank you for the info though. I really appreciate it. I also just learned about squirrel tails and split tails while googling wry tails. Knowledge is power.

Great!

Onward and Upward, sometimes one bite at a time....

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Is there a place that, essentially, dumbs down the lingo and explains it to a novice really easily?

I agree, wry tail is genetic. Nice paying attention, BTW!

Some easy to follow fun stuff..
Poultry Breeding & Genetics

 

[Amer]

1. Wry tail is a recessive gene.
2. Leg spacing is desirable because the rooster can carry his weight and walk better. In meat birds it also means a meatier bird.
3. http://www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics/mutations1.html
This explains all chicken genotypes. It may still be confusing but it’s the simplest one I can find.

 

[Fallenone05]

Managed to get a picture of them together! White one is momma, brown one is her baby.

 

[Fallenone05]

Another question -



Most of my birds have the Columbian neck markings right? Like even the brown hen behind this buff one has Columbian neck lines.

The birds that I bred was a
Rooster - Ee male over a SLW hen
White Ameraucana Hen
Or the white/red EE pictured above.

Would this almost blue laced buff hen get her lacing from the SLW in her genetics?