Info needed about the SOP in Wyandotte’s

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

I’m just getting started with Wyandotte chicks from quality breeders including Blue Laced Red from Dragonfly Farm in Hillsborough North Carolina and Jerry Foley’s bloodline, Silver Laced from Brinkhaven acres and Jerry Foley’s bloodline, Silver Penciled from Brinkhaven Acres and Lavender from Dragonfly Farm in Beebe Arkansas. I’m planning on breeding them all to the SOP and maybe even showing some but honestly I need more information on the SOP and exhibition. Does anyone know of any websites, books or information on the Wyandotte breed that would help?

 

[Acre4Me]

Go to the APA site and buy the book of standards. Very detailed, exactly what would be used in a show.

 

[Rujzin]

The book is your best bet.

With that being said, with Wyandottes, you can read it for free in the 1921 version. Not a whole lot has changed between then and now so this will at least give you a starting point until you decide to do more. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=2Kc7AQAAMAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA68

 

[DarJones]

Jerry Foley's birds have at least two comb modifier genes: rose comb and an inverted tip variant. The combination makes his roosters have a flat comb instead of a true rose comb. You can easily breed out inverted tip leaving pure Rose Comb. Just mentioning this because show grade Wyandotte roosters are supposed to be pure rose comb.

 

[Rujzin]

That is interesting. Any idea why he breeds to have a flat comb?

Edit: I remember reading something about a rose comb having a lethal gene effect or low fertility or something like that. Is he trying to avoid that issue? Is that even an actual issue?

 

[DarJones]

Rose comb has two documented variants, R1 and R2. R1 is an inversion of a segment on chromosome 7 that happens to whack an an adjacent gene that promotes sperm motility. Any rooster with R1 has limited sperm viability in the range of 3 to 7 days as compared to normal of up to 4 weeks. For this reason, it is normally recommended to keep a rose comb rooster with a maximum of 3 hens as compared to normal roosters being kept with 7 hens. The R2 allele is a later change restoring the sperm motility gene while keeping the rose comb inversion. Several online articles discuss the R2 allele in a few populations of birds in Europe. I don't know if R2 is in any U.S. flocks. One of my goals is to incorporate R2 into my line of Blue egg laying Silver Laced Wyandottes. This is one of the reasons I am trying to get a gene test developed for the rose comb R1 and R2 alleles.

From my own breeding work with some of Jerry's birds, I suspect the inverted tip gene is on chromosome 1 because it always segregates from single comb and does not occur in hens that lay blue eggs. The allele that controls single comb is known to be on chromosome 1 located near but not adjacent to the oocyanin gene for blue eggs.

Other than this, I don't really know why Jerry breeds for flat comb. It is a points off issue for his roosters in shows though it is not very visible on hens. There are advantages to a flat comb including less damage from other roosters and little or no cold damage. I have heard Jerry talk about having an occasional rooster with straight comb show up even after generations of breeding for rose comb. This can happen with a dominant allele such as rose comb. The normal variant on chromosome 7 is covered up by the rose comb variant. Eventually, a hen and a rooster wind up heterozygous and produce a straight comb offspring.

 

[Amer]

You’re ambitious, I like that! Yeah, I’d definitely buy the APA Standard. Sixty dollars is very affordable in the long run, and it will help you with other breeds too.
But in the meanwhile, the free version will serve you well.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

Thanks everyone! I’m planning on buying the APA book of standards once my chicks become adults, I’m looking at the free version now.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

Jerry Foley's birds have at least two comb modifier genes: rose comb and an inverted tip variant. The combination makes his roosters have a flat comb instead of a true rose comb. You can easily breed out inverted tip leaving pure Rose Comb. Just mentioning this because show grade Wyandotte roosters are supposed to be pure rose comb.

Could you add pictures of the difference between the flat comb vs a true rose comb?

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

I had the same question a week ago! I ordered the APA SOP book soon after. Should be here any day. If you don't want to spend 60$ I can just post a picture of the page or send it to you. Just FYI, the lavender and Blue Red laced Wyandottes are not registered by the APA. So they cannot be shown in competitions and fairs and stuff. But the silver penciled and silver laced are both registered breeds. Also, do you recommend those hatcheries? I have been looking for some silver laced to maybe show someday but my local breeder only does blue/red and golden laced.