Genetics for Dummies?

[SwampPrincessChick]

You could pick up each one, spread the feathers apart, and look at the color down near the skin. It is very common for chicken feathers to be a different color down there, but you never see it when the feathers are laying neatly in place on the chicken. Sometimes you will find different colors on different parts of the chicken.

If you want examples on other people's chickens, look for threads about hens with bare backs (usually from overmating). They often have that under layer exposed. Sometimes it is similar to the color of the outer feathers, but sometimes it is very different, like the white fluff on Jasper.

Good idea! Most of my chickens are molting so I can look at their fluff that way as well. Except Ruby, because she must molt in really small portions, for I never see any bare or ruffled patches.

 

[Amer]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-genetics-blog.1635047/post-27916072
There is my thread.
I do go into a lot of depth though, and assume people understand Mendelian inheritance so I don't cover it. I don't know that I would call it beginner friendly!
But its saving grace is the fact that I do use pictures.
Lots of pictures.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-genetics-blog.1635047/post-27916072
There is my thread.
I do go into a lot of depth though, and assume people understand Mendelian inheritance so I don't cover it. I don't know that I would call it beginner friendly!
But its saving grace is the fact that I do use pictures.
Lots of pictures.

Oh, wow! That covers a whole lot. Thank you!

 

[Sunni_Chick]

I'm working on adding all of the genes here, for both feathers and other things like comb types, the extra toe, etc. I find that pictures 1 help so much, so I've slowly but surely been adding more to it as it grows.

https://www.pipsnchicks.com/chicken-genetics

What is meant by “self” when you mention a self male crossed with a chocolate female. I’m getting a lavender Orpington and trying to understand if I add a chocolate hen and cross him with her - what would I get?

 

[NatJ]

What is meant by “self” when you mention a self male crossed with a chocolate female. I’m getting a lavender Orpington and trying to understand if I add a chocolate hen and cross him with her - what would I get?

"Self" usually means the chicken is one color all over. So "self black" or "self white" would mean a solid black or white chicken. Did you see it specifically as "self blue"? That is another term for a solid lavender-colored chicken.

If you cross a Lavender Orpington rooster with a chocolate hen, all chicks should look black. All chicks will carry the recessive gene for lavender. All sons will carry the sex-linked recessive chocolate gene too, but daughters will not.

 

[Sunni_Chick]

"Self" usually means the chicken is one color all over. So "self black" or "self white" would mean a solid black or white chicken. Did you see it specifically as "self blue"? That is another term for a solid lavender-colored chicken.

If you cross a Lavender Orpington rooster with a chocolate hen, all chicks should look black. All chicks will carry the recessive gene for lavender. All sons will carry the sex-linked recessive chocolate gene too, but daughters will not.

Thank you!! This is very helpful!