Hello all!
I have several Porcelain and a few Mille Fleur D'Uccles, and I am trying to figure which to keep in the hopes of enhancing my stock. It is my plan to put together a few pairs to breed from next Spring.
About my current stock: Some are Porcelain are related to my original trio, but I also managed to purchase a few that are unrelated. All of the Millies are unrelated. None of the chickens are from show stock - all are from hatcheries, or descendants or hatchery stock.
I am interested in knowing which traits are dominant and which parent is most responsible for what trait. For example, I know that feathered feet and legs are dominant, but is a roo with nicely feathered feet going to enhance the stock when the female does not have very nice foot feathers? And I believe I have read that the hen often dictates the quality of the comb on the babies. Is my understanding correct? And what about beards and muffs? Does the hen or roo have a greater effect on the quality of the chicks? Furthermore I also understand that Porcelains often have feathering issues due to the recessive nature of their coloring. Should I breed in the Mille Fleurs periodically to help with this issue, as well as possibly adding in stock that has better traits?
Obviously it would be best to start with the best quality birds, but I am having fun learning about genetics first-hand by hatching some chicks every year. I do plan to try to acquire SQ birds in the near future, but first I wish to learn a bit more about breeding.
I understand that there is no one answer, especially when the lineage of my stock is unknown, but I would be grateful for any anecdotal information about what characteristics to choose for.
Thank you for your time and expertise!
I have several Porcelain and a few Mille Fleur D'Uccles, and I am trying to figure which to keep in the hopes of enhancing my stock. It is my plan to put together a few pairs to breed from next Spring.
About my current stock: Some are Porcelain are related to my original trio, but I also managed to purchase a few that are unrelated. All of the Millies are unrelated. None of the chickens are from show stock - all are from hatcheries, or descendants or hatchery stock.
I am interested in knowing which traits are dominant and which parent is most responsible for what trait. For example, I know that feathered feet and legs are dominant, but is a roo with nicely feathered feet going to enhance the stock when the female does not have very nice foot feathers? And I believe I have read that the hen often dictates the quality of the comb on the babies. Is my understanding correct? And what about beards and muffs? Does the hen or roo have a greater effect on the quality of the chicks? Furthermore I also understand that Porcelains often have feathering issues due to the recessive nature of their coloring. Should I breed in the Mille Fleurs periodically to help with this issue, as well as possibly adding in stock that has better traits?
Obviously it would be best to start with the best quality birds, but I am having fun learning about genetics first-hand by hatching some chicks every year. I do plan to try to acquire SQ birds in the near future, but first I wish to learn a bit more about breeding.
I understand that there is no one answer, especially when the lineage of my stock is unknown, but I would be grateful for any anecdotal information about what characteristics to choose for.
Thank you for your time and expertise!
