How?

[lilwanderer]

I have this hen with feathered feet who's parents didnt have feathered feet, how does that work?
Father:

Mother: ( On the right)

daughter:

 

[Perris]

Good question! @nicalandia should be able to answer that one for you

 

[3KillerBs]

Do you have any feather-footed birds in the flock?

If yes, could you have mistaken one of the parents?

 

[lilwanderer]

Do you have any feather-footed birds in the flock?

If yes, could you have mistaken one of the parents?

no I'm sure of the parents, she's 3 years old now and 3 years ago i had no feather footed chickens. She has her mama's head shape, and her dad's bum. Her dad's colors, and her mama's eggs.

 

[lilwanderer]

Good question! @nicalandia should be able to answer that one for you

her mother is a rhode island, sebright. Father a blr wyandotte.

 

[raingarden]

I think the gene for feathered feet is always hiding in the background. I've seen it pop up (just a couple of leg feathers) every decade or so in our quasi-feral flock that have not had introgression in dozens of generations.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Is 'feathered feet' a recessive gene, perhaps? Only a 1-in-4 chance the chick will get it from both parents?

 

[3KillerBs]

no I'm sure of the parents, she's 3 years old now and 3 years ago i had no feather footed chickens. She has her mama's head shape, and her dad's bum. Her dad's colors, and her mama's eggs.

Is 'feathered feet' a recessive gene, perhaps? Only a 1-in-4 chance the chick will get it from both parents?

It's supposed to be a dominant -- though, IIRC, there are multiple genes that affect the degree of feathering.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Is 'feathered feet' a recessive gene, perhaps? Only a 1-in-4 chance the chick will get it from both parents?

The feather legged birds I've always had are dominant

 

[NatJ]

Is 'feathered feet' a recessive gene, perhaps? Only a 1-in-4 chance the chick will get it from both parents?

I've read that there are at least two dominant genes that can cause feathered feet, and at least one recessive gene as well.

I've also had the experience of hatching some eggs, from a flock of 100% clean-legged chickens, and getting some chicks with a few feathers on their shanks & toes.