Comb Modification?

[fowlafoot]

I read a theory (in The Russian Orloff Fowl by Dr Joseph Batty) that the comb of a crested breed could modify the walnut comb of the Malay into the version the Orloffs carry. I happen to have Polish (crested) and Orloffs so I crossed the two, hatched out half a dozen and so far they have reddened up nicely but no comb has grown... anyone know the genetics behind this?

 

[tadkerson]

Quote:
The comb of the orloff and the malay are due to the combination of two genes the pea comb gene and the rose comb gene. There are most likely other genes that modify the comb so that you can get a strawberry comb or a walnut or a cushion comb.

I crossed duplex combed birds with single combed birds and I got a very small single comb with spikes at the back end of the comb in the offspring. The combs were slow about growing.

I imagine that the cross you made would also produce a smaller form of a walnut comb with spikes at back of the comb. I do not know how old your birds are but it may take a longer time for the combs to show. The crest can also effect the shape and size of the comb. I have never made the cross so this is just a guess on my part.

Do all of the birds have the same kind of comb or lack of a comb?


Tim

 

[fowlafoot]

All the crosses have the same lack of comb development but I only hatched 6 which is a very small sample and only 2 of those are roosters.

At the same time I crossed the Orloffs with the Polish I also accidentally crossed a RIR with the Polish and saw the same slow growing single comb with a side sprig in the back you mentioned.

Would the duplex comb as seen in the polish then be a lack of any other comb genetics?

He's not the only interesting comb I hatched this year either