barred easter egger?

[jerryse]

I have been doing a lot of thinking on this leg color issue.I have noticed lavenders have very dark legs.Also dominant white split for black.There was a line of LF ameraucana carrying barring with no leg color problems.So there are colors that interfere with the interference.The few lavender cuckoo I have produced have had slate legs.I have 1 rooster that is now about 1 year old silgle barred and still has slate..He is pictured in post 214.The ones I am getting have dark outer layer and spotted inner.So it seems the outer layer in not affected as much.So it seems the females have less trouble due to 1 copy barring.Single barred rooster possible.Double barred still elusive.Perhaps possible in crele.I will see as I have some crele project chicks.So maybe double barring on a split for recessive white or lavender.Something to try while waiting for a linkage break.

 

[nicalandia]

I have been doing a lot of thinking on this leg color issue.I have noticed lavenders have very dark legs.Also dominant white split for black.There was a line of LF ameraucana carrying barring with no leg color problems.So there are colors that interfere with the interference.The few lavender cuckoo I have produced have had slate legs.I have 1 rooster that is now about 1 year old silgle barred and still has slate..He is pictured in post 214.The ones I am getting have dark outer layer and spotted inner.So it seems the outer layer in not affected as much.So it seems the females have less trouble due to 1 copy barring.Single barred rooster possible.Double barred still elusive.Perhaps possible in crele.I will see as I have some crele project chicks.So maybe double barring on a split for recessive white or lavender.Something to try while waiting for a linkage break.

I will follow your progress

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Hi, I am going to be starting my project soon. i am getting my Barred rock on the 19th. I hope to learn a lot here.

 

[tadkerson]

I have been doing a lot of thinking on this leg color issue.I have noticed lavenders have very dark legs.Also dominant white split for black.There was a line of LF ameraucana carrying barring with no leg color problems.So there are colors that interfere with the interference.The few lavender cuckoo I have produced have had slate legs.I have 1 rooster that is now about 1 year old silgle barred and still has slate..He is pictured in post 214.The ones I am getting have dark outer layer and spotted inner.So it seems the outer layer in not affected as much.So it seems the females have less trouble due to 1 copy barring.Single barred rooster possible.Double barred still elusive.Perhaps possible in crele.I will see as I have some crele project chicks.So maybe double barring on a split for recessive white or lavender.Something to try while waiting for a linkage break.

Some of this information was mentioned before and if you already know this- it is here to educate those that do not know the information.

Birds that are black usually carry the extended black allele (E*E). This allele does very well at making a chicken black but also adds black to the shanks. Lavender birds are normally extended black and carry two copies of the recessive lav*lav gene which simple dilutes the black to a self blue. There are black birds that are not extended black- they carry different genes to make them black. The black birds that are not extended black can have yellow or white shanks. The barring gene works best on extended black birds. Some barred birds do not carry extended black and you get zonal barring that is weak.

Research shows that the barring gene in one dose produces shanks that have some black in them-two doses will remove all or almost all of the black pigment from the shanks.

Ameraucana should have white skin and carry the sex lined dermal melanin gene- this produces a slate shank color in the standard ameraucana varieties (excluding black). The extended black gene adds black pigment to the outer layer of skin called he epidermis while the sex linked dermal melanin gene adds black pigment to the layer of skin ( the dermis) under the epidermis.

Sex linked dermal melanin is an incompletely dominant gene so the amount of black pigment in the dermis can vary in females and in males that carry one copy of the gene; males with two copies of the allele will have more black pigment in the dermis. The barring gene will inhibit the black pigments added to the skin by the extended black and the sex lined dermal melanin gene.

You are going to get varied amounts of black pigment in the shanks depending on if the bird is a male or female, if the male carries one or two barring genes and if the male carries one or two sex linked dermal melanin genes. Females can only carry one barring and one sex linked dermal melanin gene.

Birds that have green or yellow in their shanks have yellow skin which is due to an autosomal (not sex linked) recessive gene.

The sex linked dermal melanin and barring genes are about 14 Centimorgans apart. If you cross a male lavender ( or black) ameraucan with a cuckoo marans, the F1 male chicks will carry the barring gene on the Z chromosome from the mother and the sex linked dermal melanin gene is on the Z chromosome from the father. The two different genes are located on different chromosomes. The female chicks will not be barred but will carry the dermal melanin from the father ( female chicks inherit their Z chromosome from their father).

If the F1 male is crossed with a black hen, statistically 14% of the F2 chicks will inherit a Z chromosome from the father that carries the barring gene linked with the sex linked dermal melanin gene. The barring gene and dermal melanin gene can be found on the same chromosome. This was not the case with the F1 male.

Tim

 

[jerryse]

Thanks for the info Tim.I felt I got a lucky break on that cockerel.Maybe I should buy lottery tickets with such good luck.I have some late hatch cuckoo chicks showing good leg color.I should be able to keep trait going.

 

[jerryse]

Here are some pics of my cuckoo pullet at the Fowl Fest show in Michigan.The first step in becoming a project color.She was the only cuckoo entered but it is start.

 

[CackleJoy]

Hoping to have some BR EE's today! Eggs are a pipping. Can't wait to see what comes out!

 

[jerryse]

Hoping to have some BR EE's today! Eggs are a pipping. Can't wait to see what comes out!

Welcome to the project.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Here are some pics of my cuckoo pullet at the Fowl Fest show in Michigan.The first step in becoming a project color.She was the only cuckoo entered but it is start.

She is very pretty. Maybe in a few years I will have some good ones to show.

 

[CackleJoy]

Well they are dark that is for sure! Can't tell anything yet. Very surprised at how black they look. Kind of didn't expect the BR to be so dominant. Thought it might take several generations. I realize it will take time for the barring to show up but to have the black so dominant over buff hens is amazing!