Backyard Brahmas!!

[Amberjem]

soooooooooooo I was wondering if any thought this may or may not be a brahma cross?

 

[holm25]

I would say there is no Brahma in it because there's no feathers on its feet. Maybe an EE.

 

[Amberjem]

Actually, comb genetics as we know them are pretty simple. The rose comb type and the pea comb type are actually two different chromosomes on two different genes (in different locations). Because of that, they really don't blend, they are either there (R or P) or are absent (r or p). The presence or absence of those genes control four different types of combs. The presence of both (RP) give you a walnut comb, the absence of both (rp) give you a straight comb. The presence of one (Rp) gives you a rose comb and (rP) gives you a pea comb. The other comb types and the different shapes that can crop up in any of the combs comes from modifiers that make them cushions, strawberry, etc.

As far as roo goes, it is an incorrect term. Basically it is slang that was started during the puritan era in the United States by those that objected to the use of the word "cock". When you show birds, you need to identify the males as either a cockerel or a cock bird. So, there are many of us that prefer to use the proper terminology and sometimes we cringe when others use the word "roo" to describe our males. I kind of look at all of this as a learning experience, so I always appreciate when someone corrects me....and I need correcting a lot!

wow how neat! about the word history..argghh I am trying really hard not to get caught up in the genetics..but I have always found the subject fascinating.......just had read something awhile back and had mentioned indirect dominate gene or something or another about crossing peacomb to single comb and getting mutations... so your saying it's not the cross that causes mutation but the modifiers?..... so when showing birds if you were to call it a roo would it be a dis-qualifier or mark against you or something?...the more I learn about chickens the more questions I seem to have..........

 

[bumpercarr]

wow how neat! about the word history..argghh I am trying really hard not to get caught up in the genetics..but I have always found the subject fascinating.......just had read something awhile back and had mentioned indirect dominate gene or something or another about crossing peacomb to single comb and getting mutations... so your saying it's not the cross that causes mutation but the modifiers?..... so when showing birds if you were to call it a roo would it be a dis-qualifier or mark against you or something?...the more I learn about chickens the more questions I seem to have..........

No, if you called the roos (btw, many people do) it might make some eyebrows raise. Fortunately, if you are showing poultry as an adult you don't have to answer any questions or anything like that. As a matter of fact, you can't talk to the judges while they are judging so they wouldn't know if you were calling them roos or cocks or whatever. It's just the people that you are talking to while at the show (or on here) that might judge your knowledge or experience based on the language that you use. So, like I said, this is all a learning experience for all of us. One thing that I tend to do is to call the males "roos" or "roosters" when I'm talking to individuals that are not knowledgeable about poultry....like my granddaughter or some of my friends. They don't know any other terms and might be offended if I refer to one of my males as a cock. But when I'm talking to chicken folks, I try to use the proper term.........although I will admit that there is a bit of the puritan in me, so usually I say "cock bird" simply because it makes me feel a little better than saying "cock". After all, who likes to hear an old woman talking about the beautiful cock that she has hanging around her farm? LOL.

Genetics is a fascinating subject for me, sort of a hobby I guess you could say. Although, who would admit to such a geekish hobby? Anyway, yes, the modifiers are responsible for the combs other then pea, rose, straight or walnut. As an interesting side note, comb genetics was one of the first genetics to be studied by geneticists in chickens. One thing to keep in mind when working with dominant genes is that you never know if the breeding pair have two copies of a gene or only one copy of the gene. For instance, a Pp gene (pea comb) shows up the same as a PP gene because dominant genes only need one copy to show up on the bird. So, if you have a bird that has a pea comb, but only has the Pp gene instead of the PP gene, if it is crossed with a pp bird, half of the offspring are pp which if there isn't a rose comb gene will have straight combs. If one of the parent birds is PP, then all of the offspring will show a pea comb, but will only have one copy of the P gene, being Pp. Cross one of them with a straight comb and you are back at the 50% having straight combs. Study up on Punnet squares and it will become clear how that works. I'm beginning to realize though that there are clues that can tell you if a dominant gene is one copy dominant or two copy dominant.....too hard for me to explain though.

Maybe that clears things up a little bit? Or not.

 

[bumpercarr]

soooooooooooo I was wondering if any thought this may or may not be a brahma cross?

I don't think so. No feathered feet. Very cute though.

 

[Amberjem]

I would say there is no Brahma in it because there's no feathers on its feet. Maybe an EE.

well yes it would be cross amercana/brahma maybe on the light brahman probly from privvet hatchery

 

[Amberjem]

No, if you called the roos (btw, many people do) it might make some eyebrows raise. Fortunately, if you are showing poultry as an adult you don't have to answer any questions or anything like that. As a matter of fact, you can't talk to the judges while they are judging so they wouldn't know if you were calling them roos or cocks or whatever. It's just the people that you are talking to while at the show (or on here) that might judge your knowledge or experience based on the language that you use. So, like I said, this is all a learning experience for all of us. One thing that I tend to do is to call the males "roos" or "roosters" when I'm talking to individuals that are not knowledgeable about poultry....like my granddaughter or some of my friends. They don't know any other terms and might be offended if I refer to one of my males as a cock. But when I'm talking to chicken folks, I try to use the proper term.........although I will admit that there is a bit of the puritan in me, so usually I say "cock bird" simply because it makes me feel a little better than saying "cock". After all, who likes to hear an old woman talking about the beautiful cock that she has hanging around her farm? LOL.

Genetics is a fascinating subject for me, sort of a hobby I guess you could say. Although, who would admit to such a geekish hobby? Anyway, yes, the modifiers are responsible for the combs other then pea, rose, straight or walnut. As an interesting side note, comb genetics was one of the first genetics to be studied by geneticists in chickens. One thing to keep in mind when working with dominant genes is that you never know if the breeding pair have two copies of a gene or only one copy of the gene. For instance, a Pp gene (pea comb) shows up the same as a PP gene because dominant genes only need one copy to show up on the bird. So, if you have a bird that has a pea comb, but only has the Pp gene instead of the PP gene, if it is crossed with a pp bird, half of the offspring are pp which if there isn't a rose comb gene will have straight combs. If one of the parent birds is PP, then all of the offspring will show a pea comb, but will only have one copy of the P gene, being Pp. Cross one of them with a straight comb and you are back at the 50% having straight combs. Study up on Punnet squares and it will become clear how that works. I'm beginning to realize though that there are clues that can tell you if a dominant gene is one copy dominant or two copy dominant.....too hard for me to explain though.

Maybe that clears things up a little bit? Or not.

darn it ok I'm interested lol......I know what you mean I got so involved with genetics years ago, and had been following alot of the gentic break thrus and things years ago.. had a friend who we'd just discus rabbit genetic stuff for hours... but nothing like trying to bring up the subject to someone not interested watching that glazed look of really are we going to go thru the alphabet again. and I know how I can get when I start digging into it......lost for hours with this or that possibility, blah blah...wasnt it comb genetic study that sorta sparked the whole genetic field something about proving genetics or something? early research I dunno why that is niggling at my brain..... I never called a rooster/cock before in my life a roo until I got to this site or started reading things online...Mostly I will use it here just for ease of typing........or when using "cute" slang type language..

 

[Amberjem]

will the feathered feet breed true then?

 

[big medicine]

I think bumpercarr covered things pretty well.

The only time I can think of using the word roo might actually cost you is in a junior showmanship class where the judge asks the kids direct questions about their bird, and tests their general poultry knowledge. For the rest of us it is just a pretty good indicator as to a persons general level of poultry knowledge.

Feathered legs is dominant in a first generation cross with a clean legged breed. Breeding those chicks together will usually produce some chicks with better feathered legs than their parents, some that have varying degrees of sparce feathered legs (like their parents), and some clean legged chicks.

 

[Cfmills]

will the feathered feet  breed true then?

if I'm not mistaken feathered feet is a dominant trait. If you breed a brahma with say a orpington will give chicks with light feet feathering.