I have been breeding AC for a little over a year and have been trying to understand the genetics involved with the the phenotype of the birds. They are a land race breed--so have a varied background and color has been selected for over time. The faults we get in the AC are color leakage in the feathers. Some times the males get silver or gold in their hackles and/or saddles, from a few feathers to full color. Some times the leakage is just one or 2 feathers on the bird with a black core and some brown/gold on the edges. I have also seen some lacing (silver)
Another fault is mulberry wattles and/or combs. There are birds who are all black on the outside, but the fibromelanosis is incomplete inside and they show pink mouths, which generally indicated normally colored to light grey internal organs.
As with silkies, the FM is due to a duplication and inversion of a section dna with several genes involved. I believe the EDN3 is linked to the FM. I am not sure if scientists have decided that edn3 is entirely responsible for the fibromelanosis. Breeders often site lack of complete fm as relating to 'not full compliment of edn3'--I have read that the birds can have between 1 copy of edn3 up to 4.
Now, my real question is---Toe color, what are the genes involved with leg/toe color? And what interaction do they have with fm and is fm traits supposed to overpower all other color/lack of color genes?
I have chicks that hatch with partial white toes. It can be 1 toe with the tip white up to 4 toes with white extending up to the 2nd knuckle. I mark these chicks as culls as they did not hatch all black. What I have found from hatching over 150 chicks and letting many of the best grow out....chicks who hatch all black can have pink mouths and other flaws and chicks that hatch with flaws can have black mouths and better FM expression over all.
Any thoughts on the FM genes and their expression? I have some understanding of genetics and some understanding of chicken genetics, but am not an expert by any means...I think I know enough to ask questions that drive me nuts lol!!
Thanks for any thoughts!
Another fault is mulberry wattles and/or combs. There are birds who are all black on the outside, but the fibromelanosis is incomplete inside and they show pink mouths, which generally indicated normally colored to light grey internal organs.
As with silkies, the FM is due to a duplication and inversion of a section dna with several genes involved. I believe the EDN3 is linked to the FM. I am not sure if scientists have decided that edn3 is entirely responsible for the fibromelanosis. Breeders often site lack of complete fm as relating to 'not full compliment of edn3'--I have read that the birds can have between 1 copy of edn3 up to 4.
Now, my real question is---Toe color, what are the genes involved with leg/toe color? And what interaction do they have with fm and is fm traits supposed to overpower all other color/lack of color genes?
I have chicks that hatch with partial white toes. It can be 1 toe with the tip white up to 4 toes with white extending up to the 2nd knuckle. I mark these chicks as culls as they did not hatch all black. What I have found from hatching over 150 chicks and letting many of the best grow out....chicks who hatch all black can have pink mouths and other flaws and chicks that hatch with flaws can have black mouths and better FM expression over all.
Any thoughts on the FM genes and their expression? I have some understanding of genetics and some understanding of chicken genetics, but am not an expert by any means...I think I know enough to ask questions that drive me nuts lol!!
Thanks for any thoughts!