Question about comb genetics

[Miss717]

I have a buff Orpington rooster and some golden laced Wyandotte hens. It seems like any chicks I have gotten from this combination have had rose combs. Right now I have a chick that I am pretty sure is a Wyandotte/Orpington cross and it has a single comb. Does this mean that one of my Wyandotte hens is not pure Wyandotte? They are hatchery birds. Thank you for any information you can give.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally rose comb is dominant over a single comb. Some Wyandotte can be single combed which means some Wyandotte carry the genes for a single comb, so if the right bird is bred it could result in a single comb in the offspring.

 

[Miss717]

Ok I thought a rose comb was dominant, but also did not realize that some Wyandottes have single combs. Good information. Thank you.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, Rose comb is dominant. But, if you have a Wyandotte who has a recessive for straight comb, you would see a rose comb, but she can still pass on a straight comb to some of her offspring. When crossed with the BO, half of her chicks (statistically) would be straight combed.

 

[Indyshent]

Single comb alleles persist in Wyandottes because homozygous (R/R) rose comb roosters have decreased fertility/sperm motility, which means the sperm of heterozygous rose/single (R/r) roosters outcompete those of pure rose combed birds in a mixed flock. Single comb is recessive to rose, but as every bird has two copies, and heterozygous roosters have a marked advantage, the single comb allele persists in rose combed flocks.

So long as you're sure the chick is a Wyandotte/Orpington cross, your hen must be heterozygous for rose comb (R/r).