Genetics - so easy even a caveman can do it?

[mom'sfolly]

The classic example of human eye color genetics is brown is dominant over blue, so brown eyes would be BB or Bb, and blue would be bb....but if you have every looked at eye color you know that it is not that simple. They are something like 11 genes (alleles) for human eye color. Think of all the shades of hazel, brown, green and blue eyes you have seen. This is what multiple genes (alleles) for the same thing can lead to. In humans, there is true dominance, partial dominance, and color mixing for eye color so you can get a whole spectrum. Pretty cool, and much more fun for people watching.

Now for chickens. Think of all the colors they come in, then think about the how many genes could be involved. I suspect that the genetics of chicken color, comb shape and feathering would be mind boggling complex. But, if you just kept random crosses happening you would over the long term probably end up with something that looked like a game cock or jungle fowl. Wild type always wins out, that's why there are so many tabby cats and plain brown mutts.

 

[Davaroo]

ALright now this is gettting interesting.

 

[Lunachick]

Whoops - I must be in the wrong classroom! Where's the caveman classes?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I like the chicken genetics primer on this site.

http://home.earthlink.net/~100chickens/id5.html

 

[Chellester]

...if you just kept random crosses happening you would over the long term probably end up with something that looked like a game cock or jungle fowl. Wild type always wins out, that's why there are so many tabby cats and plain brown mutts.

What I find so weird about this is that it is similar to mixing a bunch of different paint colors together- mix two colors together, you may get a new color, but if you keep adding different colors, eventually all you will get will be a dull brown or gray.​

 

[mom'sfolly]

Weird, but true, in cats stripes or a color called agouti...think mountain lion or grizzly are wild type and will eventually win out in random crosses. Most feral dog populations end up looking alot like dingos. I believe, but don't know for sure, that with most animals random, long term crosses end up looking alot like what the original animal looked like.

 

[mom'sfolly]

WoodlandWoman,

I just looked at that link. That is just what I thought, mind boggling!!!! Hat's off to all of you who are breeding for specific traits. I know what I want to do when I retire and get that place in the country.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

My tips for that primer are don't skip ahead and read through twice!

It really is interesting.

 

[Crittercountry]

Ok, so.... tell me this... say I breed a very dark brown egg layer to a white egg layer. Which is dominent? What color would the eggs be? I know (well, have read, EE egg color is dominent) How about feather legged vs. clean leg? What would the outcome be?

 

[dccdmom]

Crittercountry,
I don't know anything about chicken genetics, but I can answer the last one! We bred a frizzle cochin rooster to a clean legged hen and all 7 of the babies were fuzzy legged. It may be a partial dominance though, because none of them are as nice and fuzzy as the dad.