Anyone Want To Talk About Genetics!?!

[DemeterAD9]

I like to double-check abbreviations because there are some that overlap, and occasionally someone accidentally puts the letters in a different order and it's a different one.

(Some of my favorite mixed up ones: BCM is black or blue, copper or cuckoo, usually Marans; BA is Black or Blue or Barred, Australorp or Ameraucana or Andalusian)


I think you've got a good chance of getting a bunch of white chicks from that set of birds, and not too many other colors.


I've never thought much about what other color genes might be hidden by the white feathers on Cornish Cross. I'll be curious whether your cockerel does or doesn't actually have the barring gene.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cornish-cross-breeding-journey.1667309/post-28752627

This is where I heard CX have barring. Google isn't giving me much on it though. If all goes well I'll be back to settle things once and for all. Just need to make sure I have a good number of chicks with color to work with... Guess I'll be doing the upper limit my incubator can hold, I can fit an extra dozen if I sit them vertical

 

[SourRoses]

What's you're breeding project? Either I forgot about it, or haven't heard of it.

Longer backs isn't to hard to breed in. Just need to add in a cross of a different breed with the trait, or an Out Cross(Same Breed, different source), with long back, & breed it into a few birds to establish the base.

Thanks!
This is my main project, where I'm seeing the short backs: Once Upon A Breed
I also have a side project: The Smurf Project

I've been hankering to add in "just one more" breed for a while now, and the eggs I want are finally going to be available this spring ... So you think it would be totally justifiable to get more eggs to correct a problem and it totally wouldn't be my fault! That's what you're saying, right?!

 

[NatJ]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cornish-cross-breeding-journey.1667309/post-28752627

This is where I heard CX have barring. Google isn't giving me much on it though. If all goes well I'll be back to settle things once and for all. Just need to make sure I have a good number of chicks with color to work with... Guess I'll be doing the upper limit my incubator can hold, I can fit an extra dozen if I sit them vertical

Definitely interesting.
That looks like the kind of thing that might vary from one line of Cornish Cross to another, so your results would settle the question of whether a particular Cornish Cross had barring, not whether all lines worldwide have barring

Unless there is a practical reason for the barring (like if it enables sexing of one of the parent generations, or if it somehow affects the growth rate, or if it makes the white chicken even whiter in a way that turns out to be important commercially). If there is a practical reason for it, then I'd expect to find it in all Cornish Cross.

I know I've read that White Leghorns have Dominant White, often barring, and often blue/splash. The reason given is the years of selection for the birds with the most white and the least black leakage-- every white bar is one place where black leakage won't show. Blue or splash makes any "black" leakage be less obvious. There might be other genes as well, but those were the ones I remember. Given that Cornish Cross are a more recent development, and genetics of colors were more thoroughly understood, I think they are less likely to have genes that just came from selecting for "white birds," but more likely to have any genes that could be demonstrated to provide a particular benefit (which is why I started wondering what benefit might come from the barring!)

 

[Skyeknight]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cornish-cross-breeding-journey.1667309/post-28752627

I see this is a post I made, so let me explain why I think CX can generally be expected to be barred. However I should haves specified more that if he is a Ross 308 specifically he can be expected to be barred.

That looks like the kind of thing that might vary from one line of Cornish Cross to another, so your results would settle the question of whether a particular Cornish Cross had barring, not whether all lines worldwide have barring

You are correct that we can technically only proof a particular CX strain is barred. I do believe based on phenotypes form based on Ross, Hubbard and Sasso stock that as a rule of thumb it can be expected that CX are barred. The CX people can buy from hatcheries are almost always either Ross 308 and Cobb 500. I know Ross 308 are barred because of the one(s) I own.

I have heard about Cobb 500 sometimes having black spots. Since most often here on BYC it is not mentioned which type of CX people breed it is hard to find a source for Cobb 500 specifically being barred.

Unless there is a practical reason for the barring (like if it enables sexing of one of the parent generations, or if it somehow affects the growth rate, or if it makes the white chicken even whiter in a way that turns out to be important commercially). If there is a practical reason for it, then I'd expect to find it in all Cornish Cross.

Given that Cornish Cross are a more recent development, and genetics of colors were more thoroughly understood, I think they are less likely to have genes that just came from selecting for "white birds," but more likely to have any genes that could be demonstrated to provide a particular benefit (which is why I started wondering what benefit might come from the barring!)

The first explanation of why they are barred is simple because of the original parent stock, which supposedly consisted fot about 50% of white Plymouth rocks. And there is a purpose for them being as white as possible. Black pinfeathers on the skin is not tasty looking, so because of that they are dominant white. It wouldn't suprise me if barring was either purposely or accidently included in that as any stray black feathers would also be turned to white.

 

[LoveMyPeepers]

@Debbie292d do you breed silkies just for show, or do you sell them as well?

 

[Debbie292d]

@Debbie292d do you breed silkies just for show, or do you sell them as well?

I breed for show, to sell. Many 4-H folks come here for them so they can grow and show.

I've considered showing myself, but just haven't gotten the urge to get serious. This is fun making others happy!