Hi everyone! Recently I've found out that an extra toe in chickens renders the kosher status of the chicken dubious (I posted about this in a separate thread), and so this means we don't want any polydactyly in our flock.
I also know the gene is dominant, but how exactly does it work? Is it the simple principle of Mendelian genetics, or some other way?
We recently got some Cochins, whom I really love, but yesterday, to my dismay, I discovered the female has an extra toe. Technically this makes her a mutt, although I know that since the gene is dominant, the five-toed ancestor may have been way back. I don't care so much about pure breeding, I wanted Cochins because they are friendly and fluffy and hopefully, to have a broody hen who would share with us the job of hatching eggs from our non-brooders.
So... assuming the female has a recessive gene for a normal foot, and if we breed her with the Cochin roo (who has 4 toes), which part of their progeny would have normal feet? 25%? Or something else?
Is it better to just give the female away and get a new one?
I also know the gene is dominant, but how exactly does it work? Is it the simple principle of Mendelian genetics, or some other way?
We recently got some Cochins, whom I really love, but yesterday, to my dismay, I discovered the female has an extra toe. Technically this makes her a mutt, although I know that since the gene is dominant, the five-toed ancestor may have been way back. I don't care so much about pure breeding, I wanted Cochins because they are friendly and fluffy and hopefully, to have a broody hen who would share with us the job of hatching eggs from our non-brooders.
So... assuming the female has a recessive gene for a normal foot, and if we breed her with the Cochin roo (who has 4 toes), which part of their progeny would have normal feet? 25%? Or something else?
Is it better to just give the female away and get a new one?