Details for selectic breeding for size

[KyleelyK]

Hello, I am wanting larger size hens and I need information, regarding the specifics, about which genes are passed from each parent. I have heard the mother determines the size of her hen, is this true or does the father also help?

 

[BlueBaby]

I would like to know the answer to this one too!

 

[LilJoe]

I know the mother determines the comb.
Usually the offspring's comb looks almost exactly the same.

 

[LilJoe]

The father determines egg color, or so I've heatd.

 

[LilJoe]

*heard

 

[BlueBaby]

Well, maybe someone who has a few years of experience in this might come along soon and help to educate us on this topic.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I've heard different theories. I've crossed large hens with small roosters and large roosters with small hens. In my experiences the offspring come out in the middle. Some come out big and some come out small. So in some causes they follow size of one or the other parent but majority end up halfway between give or take a little.
There is no way anyone would convince me the rooster would not have just as much influence as the hen.
Breed your largest hens with your largest roosters to get bigger hens.

Mother doesn't determine comb type. Comb genetics of each parent determines
Combs of offspring.

Same with egg color. Which parent has what doesn't matter. The genes dominance decides.

 

[BlueBaby]

I've heard different theories. I've crossed large hens with small roosters and large roosters with small hens. In my experiences the offspring come out in the middle. Some come out big and some come out small. So in some causes they follow size of one or the other parent but majority end up halfway between give or take a little.
There is no way anyone would convince me the rooster would not have just as much influence as the hen.
Breed your largest hens with your largest roosters to get bigger hens.

Mother doesn't determine comb type. Comb genetics of each parent determines
Combs of offspring.

Same with egg color. Which parent has what doesn't matter. The genes dominance decides.

Thank you! I had been thinking that you would have to breed the biggest hens to the biggest rooster to end up with the bigger hens.

 

[gojira]

What size are you wanting at what age? What breed are you working with? Size is determined by quantitative genes, so each parent contributes equally. As has been said, you want to select the largest males and females in each generation. You just have to decide at which ahe to select for bodyweight, and be consistent.