Please educate me on the dwarfing gene

[kathyinmo]

I have hatched some dwarf chicks. I would like to know more about this. Is it due to both parents having this specific gene, or can it come from just one?

Pictures are old .... from past hatches, but show examples. The signs/symptoms (deformities) develop over time.... crooked toes, stubby appearance, poor feather quality, parrot beak, retarded motor movement, etc.... and of course, require culling.

Here is a link to my photos ....

http://s847.photobucket.com/albums/ab31/kathyinmo/12-20-09 Delaware comparison/

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

Wow.

Well, that's not Creeper and it's not sex-linked dwarfism, so I am not sure you're going to get an answer. There are a ton of things that cause odd growth in animals and you could be looking at a genetic liver problem, a hormone problem, an adrenal problem... and of course there are dozens of each of those. Unless a lot of people have seen that identical mutation, there won't be one right answer. It's the kind of thing I'd go asking about at your local Ag college, to see if they've ever had it reported.

Is it only in the Delawares?

 

[kathyinmo]

Yes, only in Delawares. My original hatch (pictured) produced those. Now the next generation is also producing dwarfs. I would like to know if it comes from both parents, or if it is possible to be caused by only one parent. I mean, does the gene have to be present in both?

If it is from only one parent, I can narrow it down and cull. But if it is from both, then I would like to know this.

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

The problem is that you don't know what's happening to them. Are they small because of a "dwarfing" gene that is affecting growth plates? Or are they small because they're not producing growth hormone? Are they small because they've got bad livers? Are they small because they've got bad intestines? Are they small because their pituitary gland is bad or missing?

There are MANY reasons for dwarfism, if you define it as anything causing smaller-than-normal stature. Some are autosomal recessives, some are dominants, some are co-dominants, some are sex-linked. That's why there's not an easy answer for you, except that obviously you have a gene or genes for a predictable issue in your flock.

The well-known ones in chickens are creeper, sex-linked, and adw (autosomal dwarfism). Your chicks are showing none of those.

The next step if I were you is to send pictures to your most local ag college and see if they've seen it; if they have they may be able to give it a name and then you can look it up and see if pedigree/inheritance studies have been done to establish the inheritance pattern. If they haven't seen it, you can try to set up your own pedigree study but it's going to be difficult because it's likely that all your chickens are very closely related to one another.