The "Ask Anything" to Nicalandia Thread

[nicalandia]

I am by far no genetics guru, so they can correct me if I misspeak, but I am pretty sure that type of extra toe scenario is a birth defect, not signs of mixed blood. I think toe issues like that can happen during incubation if there are any issues with the temps or humidity.

I agree with this.

 

[Shugercube]

Hello! I apologize if this has been asked already. I haven't read the entire 300+ page thread I have a lot of questions as I am trying to understand and learn.

I have several BYM and am trying my best to narrow down which parents belong to each chick based off observable traits. Is that something too difficult if I know the possibilities?

I'm also curious as to possible sex linked traits. I understand how black sex links are determined, but what about red?

Can foot and leg feathers be sex linked? Are they a dominant trait?

I have a few chicks in particular that I believe are from my RIR roo and light Brahma Hen. Would their offspring be sexable based off any certain traits? I'm including a few pictures of some of these chicks. They all appear some shade of red, with feathered legs and feet. And all have "eyeliner." I only have 1 red roo, and 3 feather footed hens- a light Brahma and 2 Pavlovskaya. I'm assuming based on appearance that those are the only possible parents of these chicks.

 

[NatJ]

I have several BYM and am trying my best to narrow down which parents belong to each chick based off observable traits.

I don't think I've seen BYM before. Is it Barn Yard Mix?

Is that something too difficult if I know the possibilities?

In some cases it is easy, in some cases difficult, in some cases impossible. It depends on the breeds involved, and on which traits the chicks show.

I'm also curious as to possible sex linked traits. I understand how black sex links are determined, but what about red?

Gold father, silver mother produces gold daughters, silver sons.
(For easy sexing, some other details matter too: like not having black down all over.)

Can foot and leg feathers be sex linked?

To the best of my knowledge, no.

Are they a dominant trait?

Mostly yes. There are at least two dominant genes and at least one recessive gene that can cause feathered feet.

For chickens with very many foot feathers, they typically seem to be dominant. The chicks that get feathered feet from two clean-legged parents are more likely to have only a few tiny feathers instead of a really noticeable amount.

I have a few chicks in particular that I believe are from my RIR roo and light Brahma Hen. Would their offspring be sexable based off any certain traits?

Yes, offspring from that cross should be gold (daughters) or silver (sons).

I'm including a few pictures of some of these chicks. They all appear some shade of red, with feathered legs and feet. And all have "eyeliner." I only have 1 red roo, and 3 feather footed hens- a light Brahma and 2 Pavlovskaya. I'm assuming based on appearance that those are the only possible parents of these chicks.

If those are the only hens with feathered feet, and there are no roosters with feathered feet, then I think you are correct that all chicks with feathered feet must come from those mothers.

If the Brahma is the mother, the chicks in the photos should be female.

If the Pavlovskaya hens show gold feathers, then they can produce gold or red chicks of either gender.


Is the RIR the only possible rooster? If yes, it makes things much easier to sort out. If you have other roosters as well as other hens, it can get more complicated.

Most comb types are dominant over single comb. So look for a pea comb on chicks from the Brahma.

Crest, muff/beard, and duplex comb are all caused by dominant genes. So any chicks with those traits would have a mother with those traits, assuming the father is the RIR, who obviously does not have any of those things. (I'm not very familiar with Pavlovskaya, so I looked up photos and saw lots of crests, beards, and v-combs.)

 

[Shugercube]

I don't think I've seen BYM before. Is it Barn Yard Mix?

Yes, I apologize- I should have clarified. Too much Facebook

In some cases it is easy, in some cases difficult, in some cases impossible. It depends on the breeds involved, and on which traits the chicks show.


Gold father, silver mother produces gold daughters, silver sons.
(For easy sexing, some other details matter too: like not having black down all over.)


To the best of my knowledge, no.


Mostly yes. There are at least two dominant genes and at least one recessive gene that can cause feathered feet.

For chickens with very many foot feathers, they typically seem to be dominant. The chicks that get feathered feet from two clean-legged parents are more likely to have only a few tiny feathers instead of a really noticeable amount.


Yes, offspring from that cross should be gold (daughters) or silver (sons).



If those are the only hens with feathered feet, and there are no roosters with feathered feet, then I think you are correct that all chicks with feathered feet must come from those mothers.

If the Brahma is the mother, the chicks in the photos should be female.

If the Pavlovskaya hens show gold feathers, then they can produce gold or red chicks of either gender.


Is the RIR the only possible rooster? If yes, it makes things much easier to sort out. If you have other roosters as well as other hens, it can get more complicated.

Most comb types are dominant over single comb. So look for a pea comb on chicks from the Brahma.

Crest, muff/beard, and duplex comb are all caused by dominant genes. So any chicks with those traits would have a mother with those traits, assuming the father is the RIR, who obviously does not have any of those things. (I'm not very familiar with Pavlovskaya, so I looked up photos and saw lots of crests, beards, and v-combs.)

Thank you!! Roos in my flock are all clean-legged but otherwise pretty darn different: RIR, ayam cemani, barred rock, and coronation Sussex. Hens are all but 3 clean-legged: coronation Sussex, barred rock, cuckoo marans, black australorp, easter eggers, Swedish flower, gold laced Wyandotte, amberlink, sapphire gem, then the light Brahma and Pavlovskaya.

I obviously have a very mixed flock, which I love! I never planned on hatching any out, but my broody had different ideas so I let her. Some of my hens have distinguishable eggs, so I at least know the mothers of some of the chicks, if I was able to determine which egg they hatched from. Some of them hatched all at once before I removed their shells from the nest, and others just look too similar for me to know for sure. Haha.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you!! Roos in my flock are all clean-legged but otherwise pretty darn different: RIR, ayam cemani, barred rock, and coronation Sussex. Hens are all but 3 clean-legged: coronation Sussex, barred rock, cuckoo marans, black australorp, easter eggers, Swedish flower, gold laced Wyandotte, amberlink, sapphire gem, then the light Brahma and Pavlovskaya.

In that case, all feather-legged chicks should come from feather-legged hens.

If each of those roosters is a purebred, then the Rhode Island Red should be the only rooster to ever produce red or gold chicks.

 

[nicalandia]

In that case, all feather-legged chicks should come from feather-legged hens.

If each of those roosters is a purebred, then the Rhode Island Red should be the only rooster to ever produce red or gold chicks.

I agree.

NatJ you have been(for a long time) excepcional in Answering many Questions posted here. You have the strenght, patience and knowledge, I comend you.

 

[Shugercube]

In that case, all feather-legged chicks should come from feather-legged hens.

If each of those roosters is a purebred, then the Rhode Island Red should be the only rooster to ever produce red or gold chicks.

Thank you for all your help! I was trying to use the genetics calculator to try to figure some of these things out, but I can't figure out how to input all parent info.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you for all your help! I was trying to use the genetics calculator to try to figure some of these things out, but I can't figure out how to input all parent info.

I like the calculator for modeling genes in a particular chicken, but I have not really practiced using it to predict results from breedings.

For breeding predictions or parentage, I usually work it out one gene or trait at a time. Some are fairly easy (like your feather-footed chicks that must have a feather-foot parent), while others are more complicated. I got comfortable with Punnett Squares long before the genetics calculator existed, so that's how I tend to model things (mentally or on paper, depending on how easily I can concentrate that day!)

 

[MysteryChicken]

@nicalandia, alittle update on my oddball Silkie chick. She's indeed Silkie, walnut combed, & also Dominant White, not Wheaten like first suspected.

Also, the mother has a pea comb, & black skin. All possible fathers are Black Skinned, & have walnut combs.

 

[MysteryChicken]

The Silkie.