Barring gene questions- HELP! (pics)

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

I am working on a project where the goal is a mille fluer pattern. I am helping out a few others who started the project and got my chicks from one of them.
Here's the trouble: Most of my cockerals have come out with stripes. All of the ones who have the right colors or body type have stripes as well as all the ones who have the nice spots we want. Some didn't start to show barring until a few weeks ago, and on many it is subtle (and only on saddle and hackle feathers). None of their parents were barred, and non of my pullets are barred.
So how much barring makes a chicken barred?
How dominant is this trait- can a roo with a few striped neck feathers still be ok for the project when the goal is mottling?
Is there anything else I should know about this?
These boys are super pretty and 3 of them would be excellent for the project if they weren't barred. So can you tell me if they are barred?

Here's pics of my barred chickens:
Cuckoo

Stripes

Big Bluetail

Nameless

Easter

I know only the first two really look barred, but the other boys have stripes too, they are just faint. If I can I would like to use Nameless, Easter, and Big Bluetail for the project.

 

[KellyHM]

Barring is a sexlinked gene on the Z chromosome. Boys are ZZ and carry 2 copies of that locus, whereas hens are WZ and carry only 1 copy. The gene is almost always expressed if it's present, whether or not hey have 1 or 2 copies. If none of the parents were barred I'm wondering if it's a different gene that kind of looks like barring? That or one of the parents was barred and it just didn't show well.

That being said, if the boys truly carry a copy of the barred gene (and only 1 copy) all the female offspring will be barred, but the male offspring will have a 50% chance of barred vs not. If the roos carry 2 copies then all offspring will be barred.

If you're going for Mille Fleur I would use Nameless and Easter, and possibly stripes.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Are there other genes that look like barring? Or, I guess the important question is will the stripes be a dominant trait that will smother the mottling in future generations?
I am so new to this! I have a link to the pics of the parents: http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/sommerp/Aloha%20Pens%20April%202011/
None look barred at all, but I know nothing about the genetics side. The striping is very pretty on my boys- and its on my favorites too. I really hope it isn't barring because I want to keep some of those roosters in the project (Bluetail for size/body type and temperment, Nameless and Easter for color/pattern)

 

[nicalandia]

Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex :

Are there other genes that look like barring?

Yes.. Autosomal Barring... I'll be posting pics soon... and you dont want barring genes if you want to have Mile F.


Edit..

This is Autosomal Barring wich does not look like the barring you have(that looks like sex linked barring to me)

silver campine
​

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

I have to pick roosters soon... I still don't know what to do. By far the boys who have the best overall size and color and pattern have subtle barring.
The others are so far away from what we want...
I don't know what to do! Do I cull the beauties and take the puny, solid colored boys? Do I cull the puny ones and risk my lovely boys turning all my future fowl striped? Keep one of each and see what happens?

I want to be optimistic and say the stripes are so faint that they could just be a color pattern, not anything that will mess me up. If it keeps that level of stripe I think it would be fine... as long as the stripes don't overtake the spots. The stripes are red and gold, beautiful, and some of the striped feathers have white tips. I like them a lot, actually. If they won't mess me up I'd like to keep them!

 

[nicalandia]

Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex :

I want to be optimistic and say the stripes are so faint that they could just be a color pattern, not anything that will mess me up.

the Worst mistake you can make is breeding from Bad stock... Just get good stock and you will end up Happier...​

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

But that's the problem- I don't know who the good stock is!
My striped boys are just perfect if the stripes are not going to mess me up. And I don't know if they will or not.
The non-striped are too dark, too small, too mean, and not spotted enough. I don't know that they would contribute anything good to the project.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I honestly do not see barring on any of them. Could be the photos, could be my computer, could be that there is no barring.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

It's super subtle on Nameless and Easter. I had to pick them up and ruffle the feathers to be sure the feathers were really striped, not just red feathers and gold feathers overlapping. But Bluetail's sickles are definitely striped, which is a shame. He has a perfect head and the best temperment. I can tell he'll be a great roo and he is beautiful!

I will try to post more pics (closeups) this week sometime.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
If there is Barring it is very faint.
Most of them are Spangled.

Chris