DNA tests for the blue egg gene, shipping samples to Germany

[DarJones]

The package of feather samples was delivered to JLU today. I'm expecting several weeks wait for them to be tested.

 

[Sally PB]

Good luck with your project. Please update this thread as you get more information.

 

[SpicyDisaster]

That sounds like an awesome project, can't wait to hear the results! What breeds did you use to bring in the blue egg gene? I've seen people mention cream legbars and Americauna so I'd be curious what you used and the rain behind your choice.

 

[DarJones]

At 5:00 pm local time in Frankfurt, the package of feather samples was released by customs into the German postal system. That is 8 days from the day I shipped.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

This is very fascinating. Interesting to see if you have different results from the German lab compared to IQ genetics. I use IQ genetics all the time for DNA sexing my Silkies and they have awesome customer service and so far 100% accuracy in the results. So cool they now offer the blue egg gene testing.

 

[DarJones]

They are working on the rose comb test after having issues with the previous test version. My samples will be re-tested when they have the new test ready sometime in the next couple of weeks. I committed to submitting further samples to help with getting the test to work.

One thing that is a problem is that they do not have verified samples of some of the variants needed such the R2 allele. You can look this up online by searching for "rose comb R2 allele" to understand why it is highly desirable where rose comb birds are concerned.

Testing for rose comb is much more difficult than testing for a single gene (such as blue egg) as rose comb is caused by a chromosome inversion. The same gene is there whether inverted or wild type. To detect the inversion, they either have to detect products of the inverted gene or they have to detect the start/stop points where the inversion is attached to the rest of the chromosome.

tldr; rose comb test not ready yet, but they are working on it and will eventually offer it.

 

[3KillerBs]

 

[SpicyDisaster]

I started with Silver Laced Wyandottes from Jerry Foley ( http://www.foleyswaterfowl.com/ ) and with blue egg laying Brown Leghorns from UARK back when Keith Bramwell was developing them. The reasoning is fairly simple. I needed a straight comb blue egg layer in order to combine blue egg with rose comb. Pea comb birds won't work because that produces walnut comb (Eliminates Ameraucanas). I thought hard about using Legbars but in a detailed study of the genetics found something just about everybody missed. Legbars carry a recessive gene that limits egg production potential (1 in 10 chance of a low egg producer) plus they mostly lay green eggs and I wanted blue eggs. I am friends with Glenn Drowns at Sandhill Preservation and asked him about possibilities for a cross. He had some Manx Rumpies that laid blue eggs and one bird was laced (huge advantage, already laced) but that would mean tying up the genetics with rumpless which I really did not want to do. I contacted Keith Bramwell and was told at first that he was not releasing birds at the time, but about 3 months later he emailed and offered me some eggs from his blue egg laying Brown Leghorns. Purely by chance, he was attending a conference in Atlanta and one of his grad students was going to drive on the interstate that passes less than 3 miles from my home. We met at the interstate and I picked up 3 flats (30 eggs each, 90 eggs total) and brought them home to put in my incubators. I had to agree not to sell or release the brown leghorns and only use them for crossbreeding as a condition of getting the eggs. There were other possibilities but overall the brown leghorns had the least genetic conflicts and gave the most advantages including high production of large sky blue eggs.

In the course of making crosses and studying the results, I learned a great deal about the genetics involved. For example, one bird showed up rumpless. Where did that come from? A few white egg layers showed up. This was expected as segregation could easily separate out the genes to turn off brown egg with no copies of the blue egg gene. I also had one hen that was yellow with speckles. Tell me how that comes from a brown leghorn crossed with silver laced Wyandottes. Crosses all laid very lightly tan tinted eggs. Why? It turned out that Brown Leghorns carry a gene known as "zinc white" which almost entirely suppresses porphyrin (brown eggs). Zinc white was a watershed moment for me as I realized I could leverage it in selecting for bright blue eggs. I can wipe an egg with a damp cloth and determine if it has the tan tint. If so, I know the hen that laid the egg has porphyrin turned on but blocked by zinc white. I just watch for hens that lay bright blue eggs because their offspring will tend toward pure blue eggs. Tons more I could post, but this is enough for now.

I'm going to have to come back and finish digesting this information a few times. Just really beginning my foray into genetics so I appreciate the wealth of information you've already provided. Sounds like you had a lot of serendipity on your side with the Brown Leghorns.

 

[Karasu]

Very interesting process. Thank you for sharing.

 

[DarJones]

I don't plan to use the GW's though there is one that I may retain and breed from. He is very much a Silver Laced Wyandotte with the best phenotype I currently have in my flock.