Houdan's butterfly comb

[MysteryChicken]

It was for anyone viewing the thread and didn't want to click off; a faster and easier visual. Would you happen to know any places that are selling any butterfly comb chickens or know how the butterfly comb came to be (such as crosses between other combs)?

Okay.

No, I do not. I could check out Meyer hatchery stock houdans.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Both Meyer's, & cackle don't carry the type you mentioned. Could always check Ebay for hatching eggs.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The buttercup comb is actually a different allele of the duplex gene, D^c, not the same allele as Polish, Spitzhauben, etc, who have D^V. Based on the reading I've done, the 'butterfly' or 'leaf' comb of the original French Houdan is either also based on D^V with some other genes involved modifying it, or it's yet a third allele of the duplex comb gene. That means that recreating it would likely be difficult and I'm not honestly sure how you'd go about it. @nicalandia tends to have more obscure knowledge of chicken genetics, so maybe they'd know more on that.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with Houdans as I don't care for crested breeds like that, so I'm not sure where you'd find them. Some quick searching just now came up with mention of Cackle's stock occasionally throwing jagged combs that could perhaps be worked from into a more butterfly-like comb, but those posts were from 10+ years ago so their stock may have changed between now and then. Best of luck!

 

[phasianidae]

You don't need to buy any butterfly comb chickens to accomplish your project, any V comb chicken will do. You will have enough variation from crossing different breeds together that some butterfly combs will show up on their own.

 

[Anonymous__]

You don't need to buy any butterfly comb chickens to accomplish your project, any V comb chicken will do. You will have enough variation from crossing different breeds together that some butterfly combs will show up on their own.

I'll be crossing them with pea and single combs, how many generations do you think it will take to get a full butterfly comb? I really wanted to start out with a rooster with a big butterfly comb to simplify things but I'm not having much hope that it will happen anymore so I'll consider trying something else.

 

[TGinTX]

From what I've researched - and I have no idea what is true... crossing large single comb x V shaped comb will produce "Buttercup" type combs(gene: D^c). But they don’t’ breed true. My understanding is that the true Buttercup comb breeds true. I haven't located exactly what the difference is genetically. But I feel like you are going to need a 'true' buttercup to get consistent results.
Again - I have no experience - just trying to understand this - in relations to crests actually. It makes my head hurt once I read about some seemingly unrelated trait that is affecting crest size or something. So many notes and still have no idea if I'm on the path for results that will breed true.
Best of luck. I'd love to see your results once you hatch a few.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

You'll get funky butterfly-esque and buttercup-esque combs very quickly if you cross a v-comb to a single comb. Just select for the arrangement you prefer.

We don't have any butterfly comb breeds in the US.