Cream Legbars

[sol2go]

Just wanted to show off some of my home growns. I hatched out 7 chicks and they are now 4 weeks old. I have 4 males and 2 females. One of the females has a crest developing the other does not. I have a question about crest inheritance: clearly it isn't an all or nothing sort of deal as there are lots of variations. The male and female I used both have small crests. So how exactly does it work? Can two small crested individuals create offspring with no crests?

Yes, two small crested parents may each be single for crests, so you may see 25% no crest, 25% bigger crest, 50% small crest like the parents.

In my experience, a small crested male CL seems to almost always produce crested mixed breed offspring when crossed with another uncrested breed, and sometimes the crest is more than just small. I suppose the model should be 50% small crested and 50% non-crested in this case.

However, the same small crested male CL is more likely to produce uncrested CL offspring when paired with a crestless CL female. There has been some discussion about this in the past, it seems like others may have seen this as well.

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Yes, two small crested parents may each be single for crests, so you may see 25% no crest, 25% bigger crest, 50% small crest like the parents.

In my experience, a small crested male CL seems to almost always produce crested mixed breed offspring when crossed with another uncrested breed, and sometimes the crest is more than just small. I suppose the model should be 50% small crested and 50% non-crested in this case.

However, the same small crested male CL is more likely to produce uncrested CL offspring when paired with a crestless CL female. There has been some discussion about this in the past, it seems like others may have seen this as well.

Thank you. That is interesting.

 

[ChicKat]

In addition to Sol2go's experience, my views and strategy are starting to go like this: The cresting gene Cr is only semi-dominant if I understand correctly. So unlike a regular dominant gene - all or nothing - one copy of the Cresting gene - Cr/cr+ would show differently than two copies Cr/Cr. Very small crested males and very small crested females could have just one. Good thing for that male perhaps - because his small crest (more like a tuft on males) - will interfere less with his comb development and he will be more likely to have a straight comb, perhaps than a double crested.

As Sol2go explained - and a Punnett's square would show, pairing two birds with only one cresting gene each would result in 25% uncrested offspring - inheriting the cr+ from each parent and 25% inheriting the dominant Cr/Cr. The other 50% would have only 1 cresting gene. I couldn't understand HOW on earth - after all this time - there were CLs appearing without crests...but now I see that if the recessive is going to lurk out there.....crestlessness will never go away --

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Thanks Chickat. I knew I was probably running the risk of no crests but the hen I used has the best tyoe of all of mine. She just has a very small crest.

It is always a tough call trying to decide what breeding decisions to make. At least one of the pullets had a crest!

 

[Scatterknit]

I really need a good Roo with a straight comb. Mine are terrible - 2 have 90 degree bends in them and one is a zig zag. Is anyone successfully breeding them with straight combs?

 

[ChicKat]

Thanks Chickat. I knew I was probably running the risk of no crests but the hen I used has the best tyoe of all of mine. She just has a very small crest.

It is always a tough call trying to decide what breeding decisions to make. At least one of the pullets had a crest!

I really need a good Roo with a straight comb. Mine are terrible - 2 have 90 degree bends in them and one is a zig zag. Is anyone successfully breeding them with straight combs?

What the two of you have done is take the idea of a pedigree database out of the dormancy it has been in -- but in a bit different way. and a bit back our resident CL Club VP and vet Dr. Teel-Duggan had suggested (maybe it was never on the boards-- ) What would it take to have pages on the Website for members to post what they have, representatives of their flock, what their evaluation of their flock is - and what they are working on. -- so Scatterknit could go and look at photos of someone's flock with straight combs - and contact they for let's say hatching eggs. And BuffyBugSlayer -- could post and say -- it's possible (eventually when you know your stats.) that x% of my stock could be crestless, or have only 1 cresting gene etc. -- and anyone getting chicks or eggs etc. from you would know that.

I purchased a crestless hen from Craigs list years ago as a group of three -- and I thought that she could be an insurance policy for not getting crests too big - since bouffants are not to my taste. Fortunately, she, although her size and type and color was beautiful, was not successful in producing eggs with good solid shells, started eating her eggs - and became agressive toward others females in my flock - and even drew blood with a comb peck on one of my other chickens...... My idea at the time I thought was good.

Now I see how keeping heterozygous (only 1 cresting gene) CLs - will have a good appearance but pass along the possibility of hatchlings with no crests. At the TX state fair last year -- one of the 4H kids just got a remark from the judge on the show card saying "crest ?' And who ever they were, I felt sorry for them because they put in as much work as the other kids....

As Walt has said in another thread too, as long as there is full disclosure about a flock - it is all good. -- Probably BBS has straight combs - and SK could get hatching eggs there to straighten out combs - and get neat crests (I like the tufts on males and the trim look on females for example)-- Since BBS is working on good type and we all need to work on that since it is the top priority (way up there anyway after autosexing and blue eggs - which won't appear at Poultry show time) -- it could be that seeing that flock would be the answer.

 

[KPenley]

I really need a good Roo with a straight comb.  Mine are terrible - 2 have 90 degree bends in them and one is a zig zag.  Is anyone successfully breeding them with straight combs?

Yes, but for our climate, they must be hatched between October and March. Otherwise the heat promotes huge floppy growth in order to cool the bird down ( during their growing period).

 

[jerryse]

Thanks Chickat. I knew I was probably running the risk of no crests but the hen I used has the best tyoe of all of mine. She just has a very small crest.

It is always a tough call trying to decide what breeding decisions to make. At least one of the pullets had a crest!

I really need a good Roo with a straight comb. Mine are terrible - 2 have 90 degree bends in them and one is a zig zag. Is anyone successfully breeding them with straight combs?

I find it amazing that chicken breeders always seem to pick the hardest combo of traits for perfection . A single comb with a crest just fight each other . Other breeds have a V comb or the silkie comb . I know it will not be changed but I also know it will always be a challenge . So many examples in the SOP . Double mating to produce a cockerel line and a pullet line on some colors . Just thinking out loud . Not trying to start a argument . Just puzzled at the choices made .

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

I find it amazing that chicken breeders always seem to pick the hardest combo of traits for perfection . A single comb with a crest just fight each other . Other breeds have a V comb or the silkie comb . I know it will not be changed but I also know it will always be a challenge . So many examples in the SOP . Double mating to produce a cockerel line and a pullet line on some colors . Just thinking out loud . Not trying to start a argument . Just puzzled at the choices made .

Don't you think that is just part of the human condition? LOL

 

[jerryse]

Don't you think that is just part of the human condition? LOL

Yeah I guess it is .