Please help me understand genetic in chickens.

[BarkerChickens]

I have some mutt eggs under my broody. I understand some about genetics in chickens, but not too much. I understand dominant and recessive gene's, etc. I have seen the genetics calculator, but it's greek to me. I have a black JG roo and a salmon Faverolle roo. I understand that if the chick has feathered feet, it's the Faverolle's offspring and no feathers means it's the JGs. I also understand that most of the time the black is dominant as is muffs, right?

Here's what I have:
Roos: black Jersey Giant and salmon Faverolle
hens: Barred Rocks, EEs, Buckeyes, black JGs, salmon Faverolles, Welsummers, Delawares, and mottled Javas

What is dominant and what is recessive? Do any of these combos produce sex-linked chicks? Any insight is greatly appreciated!!

 

[Mahonri]

If your faverolles are fertile, you'll get a few purebreds...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You pretty much asked for someone to explain nuclear physics or organic chemistry in 1 easy lesson

Well, perhaps not quite that bad, maybe...

Plumage colours and patterns are governed by a farily large set of genes. The specific combinations determine the colours and patterns displayed. Change one gene slightly and you may well competely change the bird's appearance. Some genes have more obvious impact than others; some have very subtle impact.

Your best bet is to find a good book or website and begin reading.

www.chickencolours.com

http://kippenjungle.nl/basisEN.htm

http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl/page0.html

http://www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics/

 

[onthespot]

Here are the things I know. EE's, if they have a pea comb, (dominant) it will lay blue/green.
Mottled is recessive.
Single comb is recessive.
Feathered feet, dominant.
Barred is sex linked. Anything from the barred hens that comes out barred will be a boy.

Hope that helps.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
Yep!! And the JGs too!! Those are what we are crossing our fingers for. The JGs only mate with the JG roo (the faverolle roo is too small to catch the JG hens ), so I know those eggs are purebred!

The rest...who knows. One is an EE egg, so who knows which roo it will be.

Sonoran Silkies, thanks! Don't worry, it's not as bad as explaining nuclear physics to a newbie. I understand genetics, I just don't know which characteristics are dominant and recessive. The links are helpful as well as Onthespot's quick description. The calculator doesn't make sense since I can hardly see the small print and I don't know which gene's are linked to what.

I wish there was a table that said what gene each thing was and if it is dominant or recessive, since I know how to calculate it myself.

However, so far, I got.... if it has a pea comb, it from the EEs or Buckeyes; however, I know the EEs are mutts and it is possible they have a recessive straight comb. EE egg color will depend if she passed on a blue or brown egg gene (she lays green). Feathered feet are from faverolle and it is barred, it's a boy since the only barred chickens we have are hens. Plus, given that black is dominant, I expect a majority of black chicks (my JG roo makes his rounds

). None will be mottled since neither roo should carry a mottling gene.

 

[blackdotte]

The only sex linked cross you can get out of your birds is the Black Jersey Giant male over the Barred Rock hens, Barred cockerels & Black pullets
David
PS Buy the book at chickencolours.com

 

[BarkerChickens]

I have emailed the US contact for the genetics of chicken colours book. The US price wasn't listed, so I'm crossing my fingers that it is reasonably priced.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Dominant alleles are named with a capital letter; recessive ones with a lower case letter. Wild-type is indicated with a +.

Have you seen and used this calculator? http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html or ? this one?

However, so far, I got.... if it has a pea comb, it from the EEs or Buckeyes; however, I know the EEs are mutts and it is possible they have a recessive straight comb. EE egg color will depend if she passed on a blue or brown egg gene (she lays green). Feathered feet are from faverolle and it is barred, it's a boy since the only barred chickens we have are hens. Plus, given that black is dominant, I expect a majority of black chicks (my JG roo makes his rounds

). None will be mottled since neither roo should carry a mottling gene.

Many breeds have pea combs, not just EE's and Buckeyes.

There is one gene that determines whether the eggshell is blue or white. There are many (a dozen or more) that determine whether a coating of brown is applied over the eggshell or not. Most of these genes are autosomal; however there is one sex-linked gene that is, I think related to white eggs (lack of brown coating).

Black is not necessarily dominant. If we are talking the E-allele, yes E is the most dominant allele; however a completely black chicken can be created from any of the E-alleles, except female wheatens. If you are talking about black versus other colours, that is like saying that green is larger than purple or that mirrors smell better than cameras. Mixing apples and oranges.

Each gene is dominant or recessive only relating to the alleles for that gene, not to separate genes. The entire geneset works together to determine the appearance of the individual. A change of one allele for another can dramatically alter the appearance. Or it may have little or no impact. The second calculator I linked to has a tab for gene information that gives a brief run-down on each gene.​

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
$100 and WELL worth the price. Think of it as being textbook quality. Except that for a comparable textbook you'd probably pay at least twice as much.

 

[pocopoyo]

It sounds like the JG is the domoinant roo. So expect most chicks to be part JG.
If you want pure Faverolles, you should put them in their own coop.
If you split your flock into two coops, then you will know the parentage of the chicks.

POCOPOYO