Rachel,
in our genetics lab at Ohio State it was/is 3 replications of EACH trial, so you need 3 of each question that you are wanting to resolve. I loved those labs, I was a grad student then and monitored them, it was easy money and fun. I really will be interested in what you find out. I agree with Robin that whatever it is should have affected all in the brooder. Its a puzzlement.
Something affecting the eggs before incubation? The diet of the hens?? A shortage or imbalance in their diets ? That is what I am wondering. Logically once hatched all conditions should have been equal for all chicks, so I am wondering about the formation of the eggs themselves inside the hens. If nutrients could have been shorted or imbalanced?
Mary thanks so much for the information on Sigrid, we need to nail all of these down,
you know, somebody very organized and thorough needs to go all through this thread and extract all of these gems into a paper/booklet. Its a treasure trove of information. Like your blog on the bumblefoot, its excellent.
I see a lot of colors on the post that I donot have yet ! Gotta be ! Seriously we just donot know what other traits could be traveling with a particular color gene. Like splash and single combs?? So the more colors included in our flocks the better chance of capturing the most genes. At least until we know a lot more about the genetics of them. I wouldnt want to see anything lost because it was linked to another trait such as a color.
In mammals it is very common for defective genes to be associated with colors, or for a particular color to be free of defects. White for instance in a number of dog breeds is associated witrh deafness. Wheras sable in the German Shepherd in Germany has been credited witrh high libido and working ability. Is there a connection in Icelandics between colors and genetic traits??
Has Sigrid ever actually summarized or mentioned the significant traits of the Icee?? The ranging ability has to be a compendium of a number of traits.
The earlier hatching is a survival trait for a breed that broods and produces hatches in a season of uncertain weather. A REAL survival trait ! Get hatched and get it going !!
The more that I learn about them the more fascinating that they are. They really are unique!
Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens and Packgoats !
