Explain to me the genetics of a frizzle please.

[Chosen Chickens]

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Again the main reason I am commenting is to make sure I understand this, but if the gene is dominant then you should never have a hidden frizzle gene, all frizzle genes should express themselves... so if it is just straight genetics then there is no such thing as a hidden frizzle gene.

 

[ebonyann]

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Why would you think it is recessive? Frizzle is dominant, that is why only one parent needs the gene. If it were recessive you would need both parents to have the gene to show up.

What I want to know is if a plain mating with a frizzle comes out 50/50 then why do the hatcheries like Mcmurray say that there is no way that they can tell if it will frizzle at birth, but approx. 75% will be frizzle. How can they say that?

Ahh, well, I suck at genetics. I always get my recessives mixed up with my dominants. I am just trying to figure out why the frizzle x fizzle mix can make brittle feathers, and yet sometimes it makes birds with soft feathers. And the reason I was thinking recessive was because in my latent ability to understand, I was thinking that because half come out straight feathered that meant it receded back rather then coming readily to the surface. Go figure

 

[KellyHM]

The frizzle gene is dominant. The only reason people say it could be hidden is b/c there are modifying genes which make some birds not show it as much. However, it's never truly hidden.

If you breed frizzle to frizzle you will not necessarily get a curly (frazzle) bird...you will get 25% straight feathered, 50% frizzle, & 25% curly (frazzle). So just b/c a bird is bred from 2 frizzles doesn't mean it will have 2 copies of the gene, but if they do then it causes problems.

 

[nzpouter]

the reason you don't breed frizzle to frizzle....

frizzle x straight = 50% straight, 50% frizzle

frizzle x frizzle = 25% straight, 50% frizzle, 25% frazzle....

so as you can see, whichever way you breed them, you get 50% frizzled birds, but from the 1st mating you get 50% viable straight feathered bird while in the second you only get 25% and the other 25% you probably cull in their first summer because of their feather condition (look at the simple breed page for frazzles).

 

[walkswithdog]

Starting last year I had three good Sizzles, fifth generation. All were Sizzles, normally frizzled. I bred them, I got about 40% straight, 40% Frizzle, and 20% curly/frazzle. The Frazzles did fine, yeah they had sort of brittle feathers but were otherwise normalish birds. Unfortunately predators got to four of my birds this year, including the frazzles and two sizzles. Such is life.

Which is a pity because I'd hoped to use the small and nearly perfect splash one in the future with some silkies I brought in. Having done it out of necessity I'd do it again. Frazzles are not always all that unthrifty apparently. These were outdoors, with a heated coop, but free range, at 8 weeks just like everyone else and still made it. I'm not a "rules'' person. All this "oh my don't do it'' means I go ahead and do it and see for myself.

I find often that it works out anyway. Sure, I might have to cull an unthrifty bird, but I have to do that with the other breeds anyway, it's not a lot different. And as was noted, a Frazzle/curly is a useful beast since all it's progeny will be frizzled even if mated to a straight feathered bird. That's a fast track that's useful. I got a lot of straights in this bunch, nice splashes , would have been nice to have a Frazzle to breed to them. Oddly they're all splash, none of the blues or blacks are straight feathered. Genetics are funny things. But I'm looking forward to what the seventh generation brings.

 

[ebonyann]

So what happens when you breed frazzle to frazzle. It says that they will lose their feathers. I'm thinking easy prep kentucky fried chicken.

 

[KellyHM]

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You can't get m ore than 2 copies of the gene, so it will still be a frazzle.

 

[nzpouter]

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They will be fine until their first summer as adults, if you can cull them, then there's no problem, but most people don't and they pass on the birds to the next person as a frizzles..... which not doing the breed any favour.....

A frazzle is the most useful bird in a frizzle breeding program, but again I must say, not many people will put up with their looks....

 

[TurtleFeathers]

Quote:
Why would you think it is recessive? Frizzle is dominant, that is why only one parent needs the gene. If it were recessive you would need both parents to have the gene to show up.

What I want to know is if a plain mating with a frizzle comes out 50/50 then why do the hatcheries like Mcmurray say that there is no way that they can tell if it will frizzle at birth, but approx. 75% will be frizzle. How can they say that?

Its my understanding that frizzle is NOT recessive. If they are saying frizzle x smooth = 75% frizzled offpring, 25% smooth, I believe they are wrong. By my calculations, its 50/50 (someone please correct me if *I* am wrong!). Curly x smooth = 100% frizzled offspring.

 

[CrestedHorizonPoultry]

This is part of an article written by Glenda Heywood, the secretary of the National Frizzle Club. She has worked on frizzles for a very long time. Hope this helps...



The continuation of Frizzle breeding is exciting as the goal is to have the head feathers as heavy as you can and the little Cochin Frizzle look like a "Mum flower" when finished. The neck should show a good quantity of wide curled feathers towards the head. Also the body of the bird needs good heavy dense feathering with wide width. If too narrow, the bird's feathers will appear to be wispy and thin.

Thus, the reason for not breeding Frizzle to Frizzle: It causes the bird to have less feather follicles and thus will cause the bird to come out with a dozen feathers and be bald over the body and intolerant of the sun or the cold weather. Curlys are a no-no in the Frizzle breeding.

Frizzle breeding is simple: use the smooth half-Frizzle pullets that come out each year. Use a good male Frizzle on these smooth half-Frizzle females and you have the battle won, as far as it goes for keeping good curl on the head feathers and the body feathers.