- May 10, 2010
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By far, I am not an expert. But I am a biologist, been a teacher, raise chcikens, and am learning about chcikcen color genetics. This seems like a good place to talk about what I've learn and maybe help others along the way (the teacher in me). Much of these ideas come from the "Genetics of Chicken Color" book and other resources I've been using to leanr about chicken color genetics.
Chicken genetics looks much more difficult in the end than it really is. So hopefully, I can solidify what I know by presenting it to others. Breaking it down into smaller bits and pieces has helped me begin to grasp what I see when I walk out to the run and look at my birds. This will be about color, not type. Type is important but that becomes a whole other topic for discussion.
Basic Genetics
What you see in your birds is called phenotype or appearance. It is controlled by what is know as genotype (genes) or the DNA (from its parents and ancestors) that a bird has. Genes usually come together in pairs of the same aspect (trait)(two doses) , although some are just one gene (one dose) in female chckens. Some traits are controlled by just one gene - other traits are controlled by a couple of genes working together. Each gene is sort of like paint - some can cover other colors (dominant), some will mix with other colors(intermediate or heterozygous), and some are such that they are covered by almost anything else (recessive). That's about all there is to real basic genetics - phenotype, genotype, trait, gene, dominant,intermediate, and recessive.
Basic Chicken Color Genetics - Part 1
The genetics of chicken colors comes down to about four trait groups - 1 Color Distribution or basic color family, 2 - Uniform color or body color family, 3 - Color Restricting or black distribution family, 4 - Color Pattern or feather color pattern family . Each of these groups or families have several different genes (or combination of genes) and would take individual discussion topics.
If people find this helpful, let me know I'll continue with future topic posts to continue to solidify what I know and hopeful help others know what I think I know too.
Dave
Chicken genetics looks much more difficult in the end than it really is. So hopefully, I can solidify what I know by presenting it to others. Breaking it down into smaller bits and pieces has helped me begin to grasp what I see when I walk out to the run and look at my birds. This will be about color, not type. Type is important but that becomes a whole other topic for discussion.
Basic Genetics
What you see in your birds is called phenotype or appearance. It is controlled by what is know as genotype (genes) or the DNA (from its parents and ancestors) that a bird has. Genes usually come together in pairs of the same aspect (trait)(two doses) , although some are just one gene (one dose) in female chckens. Some traits are controlled by just one gene - other traits are controlled by a couple of genes working together. Each gene is sort of like paint - some can cover other colors (dominant), some will mix with other colors(intermediate or heterozygous), and some are such that they are covered by almost anything else (recessive). That's about all there is to real basic genetics - phenotype, genotype, trait, gene, dominant,intermediate, and recessive.
Basic Chicken Color Genetics - Part 1
The genetics of chicken colors comes down to about four trait groups - 1 Color Distribution or basic color family, 2 - Uniform color or body color family, 3 - Color Restricting or black distribution family, 4 - Color Pattern or feather color pattern family . Each of these groups or families have several different genes (or combination of genes) and would take individual discussion topics.
If people find this helpful, let me know I'll continue with future topic posts to continue to solidify what I know and hopeful help others know what I think I know too.
Dave
