Comb questions

[NatJ]

If my lemon hen (diluted gold) x silver rooster had a cockerel, could I get some lemon chicks if I then bred that cockerel back to his mom (lemon hen)?

Probably yes.

And also if hen 3 (silver dad x golden mom) had a cockerel with a silver rooster, would that cockerel carry gold? Or would it be random whether or not he carries gold?

A hen is either gold or silver. She cannot have both genes. You formerly said hen 3 looks silver, and you say she has a silver dad. So I'm pretty sure hen 3 is silver. She does not have any gold genes, so she cannot give any to her chicks.

If the silver rooster is pure for silver (no gold gene), then all chicks must be silver, with no chance of carrying gold.

If the silver rooster carries a gold gene, then he could give it to his chicks, which would mean some sons carry gold and some daughters are gold.

So it will depend on the genetics of that silver rooster.

 

[CashewVulture]

A hen is either gold or silver. She cannot have both genes. You formerly said hen 3 looks silver, and you say she has a silver dad. So I'm pretty sure hen 3 is silver. She does not have any gold genes, so she cannot give any to her chicks.

Ahhh righttttttt totally slipped my mind there

 

[CashewVulture]

Probably yes.

 

[CashewVulture]

Probably yes.

Would they be the same shade of lemon as their mom or would get darker?

 

[Amer]

Would they be the same shade of lemon as their mom or would get darker?

They would be roughly the same (though of course there is variation.)

 

[NatJ]

Would they be the same shade of lemon as their mom or would get darker?

I would expect at least some to be the same shade.

I don't know if you would also get lighter and darker ones. Maybe?

 

[CashewVulture]

Can a pullets very first egg, even though it’s small, be incubated and develop into a perfectly healthy chicken?

 

[NatJ]

Can a pullets very first egg, even though it’s small, be incubated and develop into a perfectly healthy chicken?

I think sometimes yes, sometimes no.

The smaller size is a disadvantage to the chick.

And the egg may or may not be formed quite properly, as the pullet's body works out the kinks of egg production. For example, if there is too little yolk or white in relation to the other parts, that could be bad for the chick.

When the pullet is alive and in good health, it usually makes sense to incubate later eggs instead of the first ones. That tends to give a better hatch rate and healthier chicks.

If it's just a case of the person feeling impatient, I would suggest trying hard to be patient and let her lay eggs for a while before collecting ones to set.

But if something happens to the pullet, so you only have the one egg, your only choices are to try it or not, in which case it might make sense to try it.

And of course it is ultimately up to you whether you choose to try it or not.