Ok so I am wanting to create my own simple project bird and there are certain traits I want to include in this project bird. In order to get certain traits in the babies who would I use to breed in the traits? Would it be the rooster or the hen?
Simple Genetic Question
- Thread starter DURR
- Start date
It depends some on the traits. If they are sex linked traits, then the hen will give a copy of all her genes to her sons but withhold the sex linked genes from her daughters.
A rooster gives a copy of everything he has to both his sons and daughters.
Realize that genes come in pairs (except for the hen and her sex linked genes) and only one of the pair will be given to the offspring. If both genes in that pair are the same, no big deal. But if those genes are split, which one gets donated is purely random.
What I mean by split is that if the rooster has a silver gene and a gold gene, he is split for gold and silver. He may randomly give either to any of his offspring. If he has two silvers, then he is pure, not split, and will give a silver to all of his offspring.
Another thing to consider is that sometimes it’s easier to tell which sex has the trait. A rooster will contribute genes related to egg laying, but he does not lay eggs. If you know what his mother and both his grandmothers were like, you have an indication what he might contribute, but if you can see what a hen is laying, you have a better idea.
A rooster gives a copy of everything he has to both his sons and daughters.
Realize that genes come in pairs (except for the hen and her sex linked genes) and only one of the pair will be given to the offspring. If both genes in that pair are the same, no big deal. But if those genes are split, which one gets donated is purely random.
What I mean by split is that if the rooster has a silver gene and a gold gene, he is split for gold and silver. He may randomly give either to any of his offspring. If he has two silvers, then he is pure, not split, and will give a silver to all of his offspring.
Another thing to consider is that sometimes it’s easier to tell which sex has the trait. A rooster will contribute genes related to egg laying, but he does not lay eggs. If you know what his mother and both his grandmothers were like, you have an indication what he might contribute, but if you can see what a hen is laying, you have a better idea.
- Thread starter
- #3
Ok so if I was wanting to add Crests into my project I could use either roo or hen? Or splotchy colors like the speckled sussex or molt honduan?
Is there a place where I can read up on these types of genetics?
Is there a place where I can read up on these types of genetics?
You can look through these. They might help.
Genetics explanation
http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl
Chicken production Genetics
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...e-chickes-and-what-wil-the-hen-pass-to-chicks
Tadkerson’s Sex Link Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208
Then this cross calculator can be fun. It’s pretty basic and won’t answer a lot of your questions but it is a great learning tool.
Cross Calculator
http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator
The mottling gene is recessive. That means you have to have two copies for it to show up in the adult plumage. If they are split for mottling (one gene mottled and one not) you can often see it in the juvenile plumage. Not always but often.
Chicken genetics are not always real simple. Things like mottling are pretty straight forward. If you have two mottling genes, they are mottled. If it has one or none, it is not mottled. But other genes can interfere. If the chicken is white, you can’t see the mottling.
I have not played around with crests at all. I’m sure there are several different genes involved since there are different kinds of crests. How those genes are expressed will depend on which genes are present. I don’t know if crests are dominant or recessive but I think you can use either male or female to introduce it. Some crest genes may be sex linked. I don't know.
For a lot of genes, the way to look at it is that it is there or not. Such as the mottling gene. It is either mottled or not mottled. But some genes may have many options. On the e-locus, you might get extended black, birchen, duckwing, wheaton, or others. Which ones of these are present and in what combination has a huge effect on what the adult plumage looks like.
Then you have the blue gene. If you have two copies of the blue gene, the chicken is splash. If the chicken is split for the blue gene (one blue and one not-blue) the chicken is blue. If it has no blue genes the default is black. But how that blue gene is expressed depends on what other genes are present. If the chicken has one blue, it may be solid blue, it may have a blue tail, or maybe some pattern feathers are blue instead of black. Or the blue may not show at all. And that default black may turn out to red, white or buff, depending on what else is present.
Genetics explanation
http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl
Chicken production Genetics
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...e-chickes-and-what-wil-the-hen-pass-to-chicks
Tadkerson’s Sex Link Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208
Then this cross calculator can be fun. It’s pretty basic and won’t answer a lot of your questions but it is a great learning tool.
Cross Calculator
http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator
The mottling gene is recessive. That means you have to have two copies for it to show up in the adult plumage. If they are split for mottling (one gene mottled and one not) you can often see it in the juvenile plumage. Not always but often.
Chicken genetics are not always real simple. Things like mottling are pretty straight forward. If you have two mottling genes, they are mottled. If it has one or none, it is not mottled. But other genes can interfere. If the chicken is white, you can’t see the mottling.
I have not played around with crests at all. I’m sure there are several different genes involved since there are different kinds of crests. How those genes are expressed will depend on which genes are present. I don’t know if crests are dominant or recessive but I think you can use either male or female to introduce it. Some crest genes may be sex linked. I don't know.
For a lot of genes, the way to look at it is that it is there or not. Such as the mottling gene. It is either mottled or not mottled. But some genes may have many options. On the e-locus, you might get extended black, birchen, duckwing, wheaton, or others. Which ones of these are present and in what combination has a huge effect on what the adult plumage looks like.
Then you have the blue gene. If you have two copies of the blue gene, the chicken is splash. If the chicken is split for the blue gene (one blue and one not-blue) the chicken is blue. If it has no blue genes the default is black. But how that blue gene is expressed depends on what other genes are present. If the chicken has one blue, it may be solid blue, it may have a blue tail, or maybe some pattern feathers are blue instead of black. Or the blue may not show at all. And that default black may turn out to red, white or buff, depending on what else is present.
Crest (Cr) is dominant. There is only one gene. A bird that is het. for crest will have a smaller crest than one who is hom.
Are there modifiers that shape the crest. I don't do crests and don't have any experience with that but the Polish crest looks different to the Houdan crest to me. Or maybe one is not a crest but callled something different?
Last edited:
Polish and houdan crests are pretty much the same. Silkie crests are a bit different, and there are some breeds that have a tassel crest. I am not sure exactly what limits its expression to a tassel. Feather length influences crests, as does whether the bird has a vaulted skull or not. Comb type can impact the crest, and probably a lot more.
- Thread starter
- #9
Yes thank you all for all the information. 
- Thread starter
- #10
Ok so what I am wanting to do is create a crested molted easter egger. And possibly add a dark egg layer into the mix so I'd have some lovely olive eggers too. So how do you guys think I can introduce this to get my starting point? Since the molted gene is recessive would I breed the molted to a ee hen then breed their offspring back to a more pronounced crested breed?
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