Teaching a lesson on Genetics, would like some advice...

[picklezoet]

Hi everyone,
So, I'm a science teacher and I will be teaching a unit on genetics, traits and heredity. I got an idea to hatch some cross breed eggs in my class while talking to my coworker (and fellow chicken nut).
Does anyone have any advice about possible breed crosses that could show a good variation in traits? Has anyone else done this before?

Thanks

-Cat

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

sounds like a great idea...
I wish my science teacher would get her nose out of the science book and do something fun once in a while!

 

[cat123]

You can take a nekked neck with a silkie and come up with a showgirl-

those are cute and they really show a difference.

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

That would be a cool cross, but I thought Generation 1 was normal feathered.
I really dont know, but it is a great experiment!

 

[mwdh1]

Any thing crossed with a Naked Neck should theoritically show the NN gene, It is a dominant trait. I also believe the feather footed gene is the same. So possicly a NN/cochin

It could be a fun experiment.

 

[picklezoet]

These are great suggestions so far!

Thanks.

Are there any examples of possible recessive traits that pop up where you have offspring that don't look like either parent (like an albino bunny or a blue silver fox rabbit)

I'm getting even more excited just coming up with a plan for this lesson. LOL

And I get to have an excuse to bring home more chickens... my hubby will love me...

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
Well sure.....but since they're recessive, you'd have to know in advance that your parent birds are carrying those genes.

For instance, recessive white can be quite a surprise when it pops up in a chick.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I have a friend who does this with her students each year. She allows them to select which of her flock to pair together, they make predictions on the outcome and then they hatch the eggs.

What age are your students?

You could do some sex-link crossings.

 

[Henk69]

Does your classroom have computers?

Maybe you can play around with some genetic calculators...

Most purebreed crosses have a uniform outcome.
Things like blue and frizzle have more variation.
You don't want those kids to get bored.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
If the naked neck gene is dominant, then a bird with a naked neck might have one dominant and one recessive naked neck gene, either of which it could pass on to an offspring. So, the trait would not necessarily be present in the offspring.