Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[Parront]

The Naked Necks have 4 Toes. Dorkings have 5 toes and that is Dominate. So if a Chicken has 1 four toe gene and 1 five toe gene they will have 5 toes. So far I have not bred a Naked Neck with a 5 toe bird. The Dorking offspring from that generation likely has 75% full Five Toe Genes and 25% with half 4 half 5 all showing 5 toes. I can't explain it well but that's the best I can explain it.

The dominate trait will be what you see on the birds. Some will have a recessive 4 toes gene that will come out in the next generation. Just like blue eyes in people!

 

[Compost King]

The dominate trait will be what you see on the birds. Some will have a recessive 4 toes gene that will come out in the next generation. Just like blue eyes in people!

So far they keep getting bred back to the 5 toe father. This generation I will breed them all (unless I cull them for bad pattern or growth rate) to 4 toe birds to see if the offspring are all 5 toes or half 4 toes, if all of them are 5 toes then they carry the full 5 toe trait and they are keepers in my quest to make a better Dorking. My Pure bred Dorkings have a very low survival rate due to generations of inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity.

 

[Parront]

So far they keep getting bred back to the 5 toe father. This generation I will breed them all (unless I cull them for bad pattern or growth rate) to 4 toe birds to see if the offspring are all 5 toes or half 4 toes, if all of them are 5 toes then they carry the full 5 toe trait and they are keepers in my quest to make a better Dorking. My Pure bred Dorkings have a very low survival rate due to generations of inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity.

5 toes could have a 4 toe recessive, right?

 

[BlueBaby]

The Naked Necks have 4 Toes. Dorkings have 5 toes and that is Dominate. So if a Chicken has 1 four toe gene and 1 five toe gene they will have 5 toes. So far I have not bred a Naked Neck with a 5 toe bird. The Dorking offspring from that generation likely has 75% full Five Toe Genes and 25% with half 4 half 5 all showing 5 toes. I can't explain it well but that's the best I can explain it.

So in essence, a person could create a 5 toed NN/Dorking that has longer leg's on it?

 

[Compost King]

They can which is why I have to breed them to 4 toes to see the offspring. My Dorkings have been bred to 4 toe birds to confirm they do not carry the recessive 4 toe trait. Since the batch I have now are a result of a mix 4 and 5 toe being bred back to a 5 toe I believe only 1/4 of them carry the 4 toe recessive gene. I just have to breed them to a 4 toe to find out. I guess I will be giving away free chicks after a breeding because I only need those chicks to verify the genetics of one of the parents. Being mixed I doubt I can sell them. Maybe I will breed them to a CX and just eat them. Cross that bridge when I get there which will likely be late fall early winter.

 

[Compost King]

So in essence, a person could create a 5 toed NN/Dorking that has longer leg's on it?

very possible, I may end up making those when I test them to find out which ones do not carry the recessive 4 toe trait... I am starting to believe I might be in over my head lol. I have never had a serious breeding project project before.

 

[Parront]

They can which is why I have to breed them to 4 toes to see the offspring. My Dorkings have been bred to 4 toe birds to confirm they do not carry the recessive 4 toe trait. Since the batch I have now are a result of a mix 4 and 5 toe being bred back to a 5 toe I believe only 1/4 of them carry the 4 toe recessive gene. I just have to breed them to a 4 toe to find out. I guess I will be giving away free chicks after a breeding because I only need those chicks to verify the genetics of one of the parents. Being mixed I doubt I can sell them. Maybe I will breed them to a CX and just eat them. Cross that bridge when I get there which will likely be late fall early winter.

If you send some of those eggs to @BlueBaby, I can raise some of the cockerels to see how they work out for those of us who want meat birds. I can't keep cocks in my new place. No crowing --

 

[BlueBaby]

If you send some of those eggs to @BlueBaby, I can raise some of the cockerels to see how they work out for those of us who want meat birds. I can't keep cocks in my new place. No crowing --

Just because I have 2 incubator's over here and I'm a hatch-a-holic, you think that I should be running them both?

 

[Molpet]

Just because I have 2 incubator's over here and I'm a hatch-a-holic, you think that I should be running them both?

Yes

It's in the name of science after all

 

[Morrigan]

The Red Ranger who laid the giant sized eggs has passed away. Such is life as a meat bird. She lived 17 months. Not sure the cause of death, not all that concerned because its live stock and its not a breed intended to live long although I believe they can live a very long time with very little effort. I still have one Red Ranger left and will keep breeding her. I am breeding her back to one fo the half Red Rangers now when she finishes replacing her feathers.

That's a bummer. My Red Ranger girl is 15 weeks today and thus far has survived some brutal 105 degree days. She's smart enough to sit directly in the blast from the mister fan and doesn't seem to mind getting wet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can breed her come Spring.

I really love the results of My naked Neck over a Red Broiler, I still have a bunch of cockerels running around waiting for cool enough temperatures to endure a processing.

One my two NN cockerels has, at 13 weeks, started harassing the hens. I'm still 2- 3 weeks out from having the grow out area finished. I may have to eat one of them early. That leaves me with exactly one breeding option going forward.