Comb question....

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Let's say you have a breed that's supposed to have rose combs...and every now and then a single combed bird crops up.

Do you cull it and ONLY use romb combed breeders?

Do you leave in the breeding program because this breed is so rare and hard to find?

I am not sure how the combs "work" in terms of breeding...I'm assuming it's a recessive thing since most of the breed has the rose combs and every now and then a single combed bird will hatch....but wouldn't the single combed also carry rose comb?

Thanks!

~Heather

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

This is what I would do. I would cull the bird. Even if you use it to breed, you will get rose combed birds and single combed birds, but from what I understand all of those birds will carry that single comb gene and it will keep popping up. Which involves lots and lots of culling further down the road.

 

[catwalk]

I understand that there are two genes for combs, R(rose) and P(pea). A rose combed bird will have the genotype RRpp or Rrpp. If two Rrpp birds mate, then some offspring will be rrpp, or single combed. The decision to use the bird for breeding will be yours. If the type otherwise is exceptional, and you want to use it, breed to a bird that has never thrown a single combed chick. This will increase the likelihood, but not guarantee, that F2's will not be rrpp as well. Like Sundown said, you may get more culls with that bird, but you should decide if it's worth it or not.

disclaimer: I'm not an expert, but I do like to parrot info that I've heard/read elsewhere.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Im no expert either, just relaying info I read/heard.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Thanks guys! I'm going to just see what happens...these are supposedly good meaties, too--so if I don't like what I'm getting, that's an option...I just would have to have my in-laws do the killing, LOL