The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[speckledhen]

One thing I have noticed with the brooder plate is that as the chicks get older and feather out they start laying on top of it, where it radiates a gentle heat. Might be nice for an older bird with arthritis, too.

I looked into heated pads for my oldsters, but they move all around the pen. If they were more confined to a cage, maybe Amanda and Snow together, I could do that for them.

 

[speckledhen]

I came across this photo of Rex #2, Atlas's sire. He was such a good boy, and Atlas has his regal head, I think. Amazing to get a double barred male from a single barred male, though I know how that happens. Sons better than the fathers has continued with Atlas's sons being even more handsome than their dad and granddad. Wish Rex hadn't been injured and passed away. I actually really liked his looks.

 

[getaclue]

Warning: There are idiots swimming in the gene pool!

 

[getaclue]

It's that time again:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...awards-educator-friend-spirit-greeter.812597/

 

[speckledhen]

I voted!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I came across this photo of Rex #2, Atlas's sire. He was such a good boy, and Atlas has his regal head, I think. Amazing to get a double barred male from a single barred male, though I know how that happens. Sons better than the fathers has continued with Atlas's sons being even more handsome than their dad and granddad. Wish Rex hadn't been injured and passed away. I actually really liked his looks.

Wow, was he gorgeous. I don't know if I've ever seen a double barred.

 

[speckledhen]

Wow, was he gorgeous. I don't know if I've ever seen a double barred.

Lisa, maybe you meant single barred. A normal BR rooster is double barred, meaning he has two barring genes, which makes him lighter than the hens. Rex, like a black sex link rooster, has only one barring gene. He was sired by my Delaware rooster over my late Stukel hen, Ida. So, he got the one gene from Ida and none from Isaac. He had only the one gene, which passed to about 50% of his progeny. BR hens always pass their one barring gene to sons, only. So, Atlas got one gene from each parent, unlike Rex. Wendy, Atlas's sister, is black because her BR mother did not pass a gene and neither did Rex.

Rex is handsome, isn't he? I miss him.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks for straightening that out, so he was single barred? Is that what BR hens are considered? Or are they double barred too? And roosters are normally double barred? Are sex link roosters single barred? Is that why they look different. All interesting stuff.

Ignore me if it's too many questions.

I know nothing about breeding and genetics, so maybe that's my next quest.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks for straightening that out, so he was single barred? Is that what BR hens are considered? Or are they double barred too? And roosters are normally double barred? Are sex link roosters single barred? Is that why they look different. All interesting stuff.

Ignore me if it's too many questions.

I know nothing about breeding and genetics, so maybe that's my next quest.

Ignore you? Never! Not on purpose anyway! Yes, the hens are single barred, meaning they have only one barring gene and contribute that to sons, never daughters. Roosters get two barring genes, one from mom and one from dad, so they are lighter in color. It's the same as the blue gene. A black bird who inherits a blue gene is blue. If he inherits TWO blue genes, he is even lighter, a splash. Pretty similar the way that works. But, blue is not sex linked, meaning it doesn't matter which parent is blue, and the barring gene is.

A normal BR rooster with two barring genes always contributes a barring gene to his chicks, both sexes.

So, Rex has one barring gene and one of his chicks would get it (Atlas and Rowena and the late Rachel) and other would not (Wendy and the late Robin, both solid black hens), so a general 50/50 split on who gets one and who doesn't. Barred hens contribute to sons every time, daughters never. Hope this helps!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So a black out of a blue breed has one blue gene? Weird my head is spinning similar to what it does with math. I need to re-read your post a few time to sink it in. I never knew that about barred birds. I like learning new stuff, thank you.

I have always wondered what colors were dominant and is it different in breeds or are there just dominant colors?