Lethal Gene???

jhamblin

Chirping
8 Years
Oct 16, 2011
117
2
89
What is it?

And what type of chickens have it??

I've heard RR and NHR........

If so Who else?... delaware?

Thanks
 
Creeper gene, and Tufted gene are lethal. Japs, Seramas, Shepherd's Plaid, and Dutch Luttes carry Creeper, and Araucans, Americanas, and EEs carry Eartuft genes.

The Crested gene in mallards if lethal.
RRs and NHRs don't carry lethal genes. Neither do delawares.
 
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According to the post above, the creeper gene - it is a trait that can be seen in chicks with short leg genes (Seremas for example). They will die before hatching. The tuft gene is from araucana. The same idea as the creeper gene. They will die before hatching as well.
 
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Not according to The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow.

"Dark Cornish carry a similar short-leg gene that causes death at the time of hatch. Signs of "Cornish lethal" include short beaks and wings, and bulging eyes. New Hampshires carry a lethal that causes death in the twentieth and twenty-first day of hatch. Signs are crooked necks, short upper beaks, and shriveled leg muscles. The silver gray Dorking has a lethal that causes death in the ninth day of incubation. Embryos have short necks and beaks. A Barnvelder lethal causes "Donald Duck syndrome", in which the upper beak curls upward, the lower beak curls downward, and death occurs in the last days of incubation. Congenital tremor is a lethal gene found in a number of breeds including Ancona, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, white Leghorn, and white Wyandotte. Chicks hatch but can't control their neck muscles. When a chick tries to stand, its head falls over and the bird falls down. Unable to eat or drink, it dies soon after hatching. This is by no means a complete list of all the possible lethal genes. Among other lethals are those found in the black Minorca (short legs with extra toes), Rhode Island Red (short legs, wings, and beaks), white Leghorn (short legs and parrot-like beaks), and white Wyandotte (early embryonic death). Two common genetic factors that don't qualify as lethal genes, but that do reduce hatchability, are frizzledness and rumplessness."

Quoted straight from the book.
 
Sorry but I've never, ever heard of any American class breed having a common lethal gene, including New Hampshires and the related likes.

Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers don't have any lethal genes, as they have muffs and beard, not tufts.
 
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There are a number of lethal genes that are very UNcommon or rare. My guess is that the ones listed by Damerov for American breeds are at best UNcommon. I'm thinking that some of her data may come from Hutt, which, while very detailed and well researched, is quite old. If a lethal is present in a breed, but not needed for the genotype, most would breed away from it, working to eliminate it, and over time it would become less and less common.
 
Found this post while trying to do some research. I have a white leghorn hen that is covered by, I believe, an EE rooster. Out of several different attempts every single one of her eggs has developed all the way to day 20-21 and then died in the egg before even trying to hatch. Does my hen have a lethal gene that is killing the chicks before hatch or why is this happening?
 
Found this post while trying to do some research. I have a white leghorn hen that is covered by, I believe, an EE rooster. Out of several different attempts every single one of her eggs has developed all the way to day 20-21 and then died in the egg before even trying to hatch. Does my hen have a lethal gene that is killing the chicks before hatch or why is this happening?

I'm sorry for the late response.

Likely your hen does not, nor does your rooster. I would guess that instead it is an issue with that particular individuals genetics being weak, nutrition, thick egg shells, or incubation conditions.

I have a hen that has the same problem, and it is because her egg shells are extra thick. We've lost chicks from her but if we give a bit of a helping hand we get perfectly healthy little babies out of it.

I hope this helps anyone reading this.
smile.png
 
i read this & was interested if anyone could tell me WHY 2 gene copies of the tuffs in araucanas are lethal. i understand possibly something that would distort bone or organs... but as i understand it, the tuffs are just long feathers, right? so HOW does it effect something so vital it kills the bird? does it somehow effect skeletal structure or organs??? or is it an undetermined reason that science hasn't found out, yet??
 

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