Breeding for comb size?

[Bush84]

Hello all. Quick question about breeding. I mostly have buff orpingtons and am strongly considering cream legbars. I am thinking about hatching eggs as I go. As of now with my orps I would like to try to reduce the size of their combs and I would also like to achieve this if I ever were to get cream legbars. How difficult would this be and how many generations would it take? I do have an orp roo that has a smaller comb and wattle he also has a larger frame. He seems like a good candidate but would that mean immediate offspring with small combs?

 

[IceAngel]

I don't know if anyone has tried to do this in BYC. It will be an interesting experiment for you regardless. Much has been accomplished in the way of breeding by selecting for a specific trait. Wish I knew more about the genes that cover Comb and Wattle size. You should be able to report back here if it's a dominant trait or not when you hatch the eggs fertilized by your little rooster.

Keep accurate measurements of comb sizes and select the smallest combed females and breed them back to their father unless you find a son with yet a smaller comb, then choose him instead. You should see a notable reduction in size after a few generations, providing it's a dominant trait. Yes, this is inbreeding at its worst and you may bring forth a host of unwanted recessive characteristics but it's the quickest way to achieve your goal.

If it's a polygenic trait or a recessive trait, however, reduced comb size can still be accomplished but it may take many more generations.