Question About Pea Comb Genetics

[Cimmaron]

So I thought that pea combs were dominant over single combs...

I breed Easter Eggers. I've had this line for 3 generations and so far all of them have had pea combs. BUT, twice I've tried crossing them with other breeds that have single combs and both times got the same result. The crossbred roosters all had single combs while the crossbred hens all had pea combs.

Can anyone explain what would cause that? If the Easter Eggers only had one copy of the pea comb gene, I would expect to see an occasional chick with a single comb, but I haven't...

 

[Amer]

Some pea combs that are results of crosses with single combs have taller middle rows which remind you of single combs but... I'm stumped.

 

[Cyprus]

Some pea combs that are results of crosses with single combs have taller middle rows which remind you of single combs but... I'm stumped.

It's possible that somehow they are linked genes in this case. Linked to what....

 

[The Moonshiner]

I see no reason for it except luck of the draw.
How many chicks have you hatched this go a round that produced the single comb roosters?
How many pullets and how many cockerels?
When you say you never produced any singles in three years was that just crossing pea combed birds?
If that's the case then breeding now to single comb birds would double the odds of getting single comb birds.
It could also mean only one sex of your pea comb birds carry the single comb gene so it just now had a chance to show up.

 

[Cimmaron]

Some pea combs that are results of crosses with single combs have taller middle rows which remind you of single combs but... I'm stumped.

Maybe that's what's going on here. I just have one of the resulting roosters now and don't have pictures of the others, but here's the one I have. Now that you mention it, his comb is not as tall as a typical single comb...

 

[Amer]

Maybe that's what's going on here. I just have one of the resulting roosters now and don't have pictures of the others, but here's the one I have. Now that you mention it, his comb is not as tall as a typical single comb...

Yep. That's a pea comb. I've seen it before, and it's an easy mistake to make.

 

[Cimmaron]

I see no reason for it except luck of the draw.
How many chicks have you hatched this go a round that produced the single comb roosters?
How many pullets and how many cockerels?
When you say you never produced any singles in three years was that just crossing pea combed birds?
If that's the case then breeding now to single comb birds would double the odds of getting single comb birds.
It could also mean only one sex of your pea comb birds carry the single comb gene so it just now had a chance to show up.

Yes, I'm talking about the pea combed birds that have never produced a single comb in three years. It's only when I cross them with single combed breed that the single combs show up. I've hatched 4 cockerels and 4 pullets that were crosses. All 4 cockerels had what appeared to be single combs and all 4 pullets had pea combs.

 

[Cimmaron]

Yep. That's a pea comb. I've seen it before, and it's an easy mistake to make.

That makes a lot more sense, thanks! I've really been puzzled about these guys

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Maybe that's what's going on here. I just have one of the resulting roosters now and don't have pictures of the others, but here's the one I have. Now that you mention it, his comb is not as tall as a typical single comb...

That's a pea comb

 

[nicalandia]

I see no reason for it except luck of the draw.
.

True, unless one breeds over 200, it's the law of large numbers game after that and luck of the draw under 50