TokoBird
Chirping
I’d like to start a breeding project that focuses on making a strain of chickens with large Alulas - the “thumb” of the wing. (Also called a ‘bastard wing’ on some species, when feathered well)
My focus would be on making the whole structure (bones, musculature, and spur) bigger and well-articulated, while otherwise maintaining general health and fertility.
I’d pay no attention to coloration, crest, or carriage, beyond markers that show good health and hardiness (avoiding mutations proven to negatively impact the breed)
The “success” criteria would be EITHER a naked Alula “thumb” which was visible and articulated ( movable and not hanging limp) OR a large and well-feathered Alula that resembles a small “second wing,” as seen on raptors and gulls, which likewise was well-controlled by the bird.
In both cases, the primary focus would be the musculature, joint, and size of the underlying digit. Feathering isnt a concern of mine.
-
Now, I’m happy to just START, as I’ve done some fish breeding in the past, was raised around horse breeding, and am generally well-educated on genes, epigenetics, and and patterns inheritance. I’ve been wanting to do this before I even had a yard to keep chickens in. I know this is a big-ass project, since it involves changing whole digit, rather than just color expression, and have buttloads of plans for tracking generations to ensure good diversity and multi-flock pushing toward the goal, for down-line interbreeding. I’ve got all that covered.
—
I was hoping that someone else had some existing knowledge about the Alula’s inheritance patterns they could share, or knows of any studies on the matter.
I’ve found a lot on rooster heel spurs, but the wing spurs appear to be greatly overlooked in what literature I could find.
Chicken feather and skin colors have been well-documented. I’m hoping other chicken genes have been as well.
