Is broodiness heritable through the rooster?

[brycepj]

Sorry if this is a dumb question. Probably should've paid more attention in genetics in college.

If I cross a rooster of an extremely broody breed with a hen of a less broody breed, can I expect that next generation of hens will be somewhere in between the parents' breed on the broodiness scale? Or is broodiness only heritable through the hen?

 

[sourland]

My gut instinct is that a rooster from a broody breed would have the possibility of passing those traits to his daughters.

 

[ThreeWillows]

Yes, it is heritable from the roo. There are posts about this if you do a search.

 

[brycepj]

Yes, it is heritable from the roo. There are posts about this if you do a search.

I appreciate the tip, but when I search with the terms I'd think to use, they don't turn up anything useful. Do you mind pointing me to one or more of these posts?

 

[ThreeWillows]

I appreciate the tip, but when I search with the terms I'd think to use, they don't turn up anything useful. Do you mind pointing me to one or more of these posts?

I just tried to search in the breed discussion forum, which is where I remember seeing this discussed, but I got an error message as well

Try here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/broodiness-and-mothering-traits.1114761/

A rooster does not go broody but he does have the genetics for the hens to go broody so include them in your selection criteria. Select roosters and hens that hatched form those “broody” eggs.

 

[nicalandia]

In 1956 Japanese Researchers made a Reciprocal Cross of Red Jungle Fowl and White Leghorns, the RJFxWLH F1 hens went broody and the WLHxRJF F1 hens did not, the WLHxRJF F1 hens were more productive, larger and less broody.

 

[nicalandia]

Here is the Research work done.



Body Growth, Egg Production, Broodiness, Age at First Egg and Egg Sizein Red Jungle Fowls, and an Attempt at Their Genetic Analysesby the ReciprocaI Crossing with White Leghorns
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpsa1964/16/3/16_3_121/_pdf

Summary:

The present study was conducted to clarify some performances of polygenic traits and their genetic aspects in the red jungle fowl (RJF) using the reciprocal cross with White Leghorns (WL). Four mating systems, RJF (♂♂)×RJF (♀♀), WL (♂♂)×WL (♀♀), WL (♂♂)×RJF (♀♀), RJF (♂♂)×WL (♀♀), were appropriated for the genetic analyses of polygenic traits.

The average weight of the baby chick involving both sexes was arranged in the order of WL×WL: 43.7, RJF×WL: 42.8, WL×RJF: 25.9, and RJF×RJF: 23.2g, and corresponding weight at 10 weeks of age being 950.5, 711.8, 666.7, and 389.4g, respectively.

Egg production per year in the RJF×RJF, WL×WL, WL×RJF and RJF×WL averaged 28, 255, 184, and 148 eggs, respectively.

Eighty-seven % of the jungle fowl went broody. In the percentage of broody hens, a significant difference was observed between WL (♂♂)× RJF (♀♀): 11.1% and RJF (♂♂)×WL (♀♀): 63.0%.

Pullets produced from the WL×WL, RJF×RJF, WL×RJF, and RJF×WL laid the first egg at 158.9, 298.3, 163.4, and 182.2 days of age.