A Heritage of Perfection: Standard-bred Large Fowl

[NYREDS]

Tell me about the inheritance of "slipped wing".

Is it something you can overcome by inbreeding thru it?
I believe an angel wing is different from slipped wing and I was inquiring about the slipped wing. Where the primaries are held at an outward angle from the rest of the wing. Do you think this is due to genetics, too much protein in chick feed, injury, lack of exercise ( i.e. too small a coop/run and or in ability to fly in the run) or ? . Can therapy or change to environment help or is it incurable/and/or genetic?
Thanks,
Karen

What you're describing sounds more like Angel Wing to me. It happens often in waterfowl given too much protein too early. Slipped wing is when the primary feathers may overlap in reverse order or there is a tendency for theprimary feathers to be held outside the secondaries when the wing is closed. Either of these conditions is a disqualification. My long-dead mentors always said there was no good reason to breed from a bird with a disqualification. I have always followed that advice.

 

[3riverschick]

I have adult turkeys and Buckeyes that roost 20 feet up in a Mulberry tree, so I wouldn't think it would be too high for a Delaware, but I couldn't say for sure. I suppose you could put extra bedding down underneath to cushion the landing. How high is the perch in the coop where they sleep at night?

My Light Sussex don't have perches in their coop. They have pine chips and nestle down in them at night.

 

[3riverschick]

Karen do you have a picture of the slipped wing(s) that you are talking about? Are you seeing this in a bird that you have growing out?

I wasn't sure it was slipped wing until I saw a pic last night. Spot on, it was.
That one funky primary sticking out to the side. I culled all those birds last year.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

My Light Sussex don't have perches in their coop. They have pine chips and nestle down in them at night.

Therein may lie you problem. They should be roosting. You might have to train them to it, but not roosting can affect overall development as well.

 

[3riverschick]

"Where the primaries are held at an angle from the rest of the wing"
This definition can be confused with split wing. Slipped wing or what I call low wing carriage, is very prevalent in barred rocks and is genetic. It is one of the main concerns with barreds. It can also be a lack of vigor where the bird can keep it up but won’t, or it is genetic and just hangs too low. Selective breeding against it is the only cure. Exercise is not relevant, IMO.

Hum, My foundation trio is all sired by the same stud cock but out of different dams.
S ex Pullet A ; S ex Pullet B ; S ex Pullet C.
S ex A is the stud cock . S ex B is a hen who (when bred to the stud cock S ex A )
never threw a slipped wing in 24 chicks.
S ex C is the hen who threw slipped wing in 67%* of her 3 chicks. She went brood and hatched out these three chicks herself Feb. 23rd 2013. Once I saw the funky wings, I did not breed her again later that year. Just concentrated on S ex B.
I was afraid of that. Well from the genetics behind these chicks I know it is coming from the dam of Pullet C who
does not live here. Nuts. I had kept the S ex C who threw these slipped wing birds because I was hoping it wasn't
genetic. Ok, I will just leave her in the egg flock. She does not have slipped wing herself so it must be recessive?
Best,
Karen
* Math corrected by neopolitancrazy

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Just curious, how do you have 75% of 3 chicks? Do you mean two out of three? Or were there four and one died?

If this is a recessive trait I would be careful about breeding offspring from that cock, not just the pullet who threw the defect. If it is a recessive trait the cock is also carrying the gene. Do you have any options for alternate cocks? Or are you stuck using this one? If you do have to use him you might want to hang onto that pullet. You could use her to test-cross cockerels from your stud cock to see if the cockerels are carrying the trait. Then you can cull the cockerels who carry it, and use the others for breeding knowing they are clear of the issue. Likewise, you can test-cross pullets back to the stud cock to check for carriers. Just a thought. It would require a lot of extra effort the first year or two, but then you should be free of the problem. If you don't weed out the carriers it could crop up again at inopportune times.

I am facing a similar breeding dilemma. Not stuck yet but it's going to be an interesting dance getting my birds out of this position. Good thing it's about the dance and long-term improvement, and not about landing on championship row. Even if championship row would be nice

Good luck!
Sarah

 

[3riverschick]

Just curious, how do you have 75% of 3 chicks? Do you mean two out of three? Or were there four and one died?
Yeah that math was corrected, thankee ya'll! 67* of 3.
If this is a recessive trait I would be careful about breeding offspring from that cock, not just the pullet who threw the defect. If it is a recessive trait the cock is also carrying the gene. Do you have any options for alternate cocks? I have three cocks, all full brothers by S ex Pullet B. ( this mating never threw slipped wing) So I am thinking breeding cock B to his dam Pullet B is a good test breeding. If Junior was a carrier then this would be only 1x Junior but 2x Pullet B. Or are you stuck using this one? If you do have to use him you might want to hang onto that pullet. You could use her to test-cross cockerels from your stud cock to see if the cockerels are carrying the trait. OK. Then you can cull the cockerels who carry it, and use the others for breeding knowing they are clear of the issue. Likewise, you can test-cross pullets back to the stud cock to check for carriers. Just a thought. It would require a lot of extra effort the first year or two, but then you should be free of the problem. Ok. If you don't weed out the carriers it could crop up again at inopportune times.

I am facing a similar breeding dilemma. Not stuck yet but it's going to be an interesting dance getting my birds out of this position. Good thing it's about the dance and long-term improvement, and not about landing on championship row. Even if championship row would be nice Wouldn't it tho!

Good luck!
Sarah

 

[Vamvakas]

Wow, so much math and genetics these days.. Back in the 1800s to mid 1900s where not so many people who completed high school let alone college and had the best poultry better then what you see these days. Tells you something about old farmers.

 

[3riverschick]

Poultry Glossary
http://www.legbarsofbroadway.co.uk/index.php/useful-information/glossary/

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

Wow, so much math and genetics these days.. Back in the 1800s to mid 1900s where not so many people who completed high school let alone college and had the best poultry better then what you see these days.  Tells you something about old farmers.

Paul Hardy told me "breed your best birds to your best birds" He liked to keep it simple. Didn't keep an intensive record system, and had some of the best birds there was.

Then you see people trying to keep track of their chickens like they have registration papers on them. I'm not a master breeder but I do know if you breed junk to junk, you will wind up with junk. Doesn't matter what the parentage is behind them , saying he is out such and such who is 75% of such and such that was out of him that was x+x-b/wM/blah blah will get you no where if the bird can't back it up.

When I first told Paul how I was going to keep records he chuckled. Lesson learned. Keep it simple.