Dominique Thread!

[Chickassan]

Well Dutch is laying, she's a woman now. Got sort of an odd comb happening, looks like one side has been squished but just in a small area. I will take pics tomorrow, she's young so it might correct itself. She does have a really nice spike! Biggest thing she's ok with the rooster so I get some chicks this spring.

 

[Alaskan]

Sounds like a plan

 

[Chickassan]

Ok, caught her on the nest so she was a captive subject.

This is the oddity, it is only noticeable from the top.

 

[Faraday40]

Ok, caught her on the nest so she was a captive subject.View attachment 1645939 View attachment 1645940This is the oddity, it is only noticeable from the top. View attachment 1645941

That is an interesting comb. The 1st pics pics look great & I couldn't see anything odd at all ....... until I scrolled down to the 3rd pic. I like her dark narrow barring & alert, expressive face. (Reminds me of the sweet Dom I had.) I have no idea if the comb will change or stay that way.

 

[Alaskan]

Ok, caught her on the nest so she was a captive subject.View attachment 1645939 View attachment 1645940This is the oddity, it is only noticeable from the top. View attachment 1645941

A comb like that makes me think that she is hetero for rose comb.

Not a big issue though, since with a good male 1/2 of the chicks will be homozygous.

 

[Chickassan]

That is an interesting comb. The 1st pics pics look great & I couldn't see anything odd at all ....... until I scrolled down to the 3rd pic. I like her dark narrow barring & alert, expressive face. (Reminds me of the sweet Dom I had.) I have no idea if the comb will change or stay that way.

She is a really nice girl, very sweet and no trouble what so ever.

A comb like that makes me think that she is hetero for rose comb.

Not a big issue though, since with a good male 1/2 of the chicks will be homozygous.

Ok, just thought it was interesting iv'e never seen a rose comb do that.
Nice to know what might be behind it, thank you.

 

[Sylvester017]

Re: combs -- I got 3 Dom pullet/chicks last year and all 3 had a different-looking comb -- one had a comb that looked kinda taller than the other two hens, another one was a very bumpy ridgy comb, and the 3rd was very tight/close to the skull w/ many little bumpy ridges -- but what I liked about all 3 was that they had a nice spike/leader at the end of their combs. I love seeing the nice spike/leader on Doms.
@Alaskan I'll have to look up the meanings of hetero and homozygous. I don't breed but like to learn .

 

[Sylvester017]

I understand the homozygous and assume the reference to hetero means heterozygous? So many interesting things to know about breeding, eh?

 

[Alaskan]

Yes, heterozygous as in only 1 copy of the rose comb gene.

Homozygous as in 2 copies of the rose comb gene.

Usually only 1 copy of the rose comb gene makes the comb meatier and a bit sloppy.

However, there are many factors on shaping the comb.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yes, heterozygous as in only 1 copy of the rose comb gene.

However, there are many factors on shaping the comb.

So ..... basically ...... genetics can be a cra*p shoot, eh? LOL!

I love my Dominiques so much that if they had NO COMB (like my Breda) I'd still love them to pieces! My two Dom girls since Sept have been through Bumblefoot, Dry Pox, Molt (which their feathers haven't even completely grown back yet) and these two girls are laying fools all through winter! We've been fortifying them with extra protein, raw meat/fat, vitamins and supplements because of the taxing on their bodily nutrition for all that going on! Their eggs have been getting bigger too -- from their original 1.75 to 2-oz pullet eggs to 2.25-oz hen eggs. Can't say enough good about this breed! Friendly to boot!