The frizzle gene - how does it work?

[Ban seabhag]

All right - I have a serama chick that's 6 weeks old. She has a lot of feathers in and I am sure they are frizzle. Its the weirdest thing I ever saw. The place I got my eggs didn't mention this possibility. Where does this gene come from? Can any group of chickens come up with it unexpectedly? It looks as though the feather tips bend backward.

 

[poultrypatch]

Hi....Aren't the frizzles just the cutest ??? or is that "weirdest" ?? LOL From what I've read I think almost any of them can carry the gene. And not all...frizzles.... produce it.
I'm not an expert.
I got some Banties from Ideal last September. In the group was a cute little black chick. She started getting funny looking....frizzle. Had never seen one B 4. She grew up looking like she had stuck her beak into an electrical socket. ) I just love her !! She's a Cochin...even weirder. Her feet and legs are frizzled too. Right now she looks like a fat ball of feathers that stick out all over. I'm thinking of order some others. I do however also have 2 really cute dark buff Cochin roos to let her mate with.
Liz
Rochester, MA

 

[Ban seabhag]

It is a fascinating trait but I wasn't expecting it. i just wondered what caused it. this is the first frizzled chicken i have ever seen, much less hatched. She is definitely a funky chicken!

 

[farmin'chick]

Normally you would mate a frizzle with a smooth to produce a frizzle. If you mate a frizzle with a frizzle, I believe you get some smooth and some frizzle.

 

[Ban seabhag]

But what are the chances if getting one with two smooth parents? How recessive a gene is it? As far as I know, the parents were both smooth. At least, there were none in the pics sent that were frizzle. I am going to email them and check it out.

 

[pbjmaker]

You should only mate smooth to frizzle as frizzle to frizzle causes excessive curling and brittle feathers in some of the offspring (called frazzled- no I'm not kidding). It is *usually* cochins that are frizzled and I have only heard of one person with frizzled seramas. One of the parents would have had to be frizzled to get a baby with frizzled feathering.

 

[poultrypatch]

That's really interesting info...thanks !!!
All I know is I just love Juliette !!! She's just the coolest girl in the house. I am going to order some more from Ideal for March. I'll remember to order smooth blacks.
Liz
Rochester, MA

 

[pbjmaker]

My avatar is my favorite frizzled girl. Her name is Tina and her mama is a barred frizzled cochin and her daddy is a white showgirl (silkie). She is so soft I tell her I'm gonna make a pillow out of her.

I would love to have a frizzled serama.

 

[poultrypatch]

pbjmaker...I did notice her. She's very pretty. Last Sept I had the oportunity to buy some young chicks....momma was a Silkie and dad was a Cochin. Wasn't sure what it would look like. I guess now I have a pretty good idea !
She wouldn't look as good as a pillow ! )
Liz
Rochester, MA

 

[Ban seabhag]

Pepper is a Serama, but that is the way her feathers look presently. Its very cute (my daughter thinks it is the coolest thing ever, but a real surprise. Isn't it possible for 2 parents to have the recessive frizzle gene? Is it a mutated gen of some sort? It's very interesting from a genetic standpoint.

Tina is lovely by the way. They may be odd but sure are pretty.