I thought I would jump in here and help some...
Here is some information I been holding on too and can be also be found at
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=343605 .
BREEDERS v. WINNERS. The A.B.C. of Breeding Poultry for Exhibition, Egg-Production and Table Purposes 1919
Once we have in our possession first class specimens we must
know how to look after them. To allow exhibition males to run
with the hens during the whole year would naturally prove weakening.
We must nurse the stamina of both sexes by separating male
from females immediately the breeding season is over. Cockerel
boxes are handy at this time and the surplus males can be placed
therein when the breeding pens are " broken up." Then again
there is that bug-bear " overshowing." The big man can afford to
overshow his birds, at least so it would appear, for he has equally
good birds at home. Not so with the small man or breeder who
has not established his strain. In many cases I could quote, this
overshowing would appear to be merely for the purpose of cup-hunting
or prize-money getting and is to be deprecated. It is
naturally a great mistake to overshow any specimens, especially if
required for breeding purposes, and the good " sportsman " will be
content to show his breeders but a few times in the year. If the
owner is keen on showing, he will reserve a few of his tip-top birds
for exhibiting only and not trouble to disorganize his breeding
pens by showing any of the inmates during the breeding operations.
This is as it should be.
A few outings prior to the breeding season will not do harm
It is usually thought by the tyro that Fanciers continually exhibit
their best birds. This is far from actual facts. The sporting fancier usually has as good birds at home as those he is exhibiting,
and this should be followed by those who would be successful in
their breeding operations. Reserve a few " cracks " for exhibiting
in order to keep before the public's eye.
WHAT IS SINGLE MATING?The A.B.C. of Breeding Poultry for Exhibition, Egg-Production and Table Purposes 1919
In certain breeds the standard decrees that the characteristics
of the male and female should be different, which necessitates
double-mating, explained below. Where the standard for the
two sexes is practically the same, then single mating is sufficient.
By single mating I mean the breeding of both sexes as exhibition
specimens from one mating or single pen of birds.
WHAT IS DOUBLE MATING? The A.B.C. of Breeding Poultry for Exhibition, Egg-Production and Table Purposes 1919
Double-mating means the mating of two pens, one to produce
exhibition cockerels and the other exhibition pullets. This process
of breeding has done much to spoil many good old breeds, for
few little men have accommodation sufficient to keep two pens.
Many poultry fanciers give this double-mating question some
hard knocks, but we have only the Club Standards to blame. When
a new breed comes into being, the first desire of the faddists is to
draw up a standard that is hard to breed to. They contend that
it is better to have a breed that is difficult to obtain high-class
specimens of, than where we can easily breed winners. As things
are at present, double-mating is necessary in many breeds, and
I leave it at that.
In the case of laced varieties, such as the beautiful Gold and
Silver Laced Wyandottes, we have perforce to adopt the double mating
principles. If we mated the Palace winning Cock to the
Palace winning Pullet we should breed birds that were of very
inferior quality. By fitting up a cockerel-breeding pen and a pullet breeding
pen our chances are excellent. In the cockerel-breeding
pen of any variety the male will be a tip-top show specimen and
his mates females that are not show birds, but merely breeders
likely to throw high-class cockerels when mated to the exhibition
male. The pullets from this mating will, of course, be " duds
and not fit for show purposes. The females in the pullet-breeding
pen will all be first-class exhibition birds and the male not a show
bird, but a breeder most likely to breed tip-top exhibition pullets.
The cockerels from this mating will be " duds " and unfit for the
show bench. The whole modus operandi can be thinned down to
this :The cockerel-breeding male must possess all the necessary
characteristics to breed exhibition cockerels, whilst the pullet breeding
male must boast of those characteristics that will go to
breed exhibition pullets. The system is not so complicated as it
would appear at first sight and is interesting to follow out, but there
must, of course, be many " wasters " in the progenywhether
male or female respectively. In many cases fanciers are satisfied
with breeding one sex only and winning honors with same. They
specialize in pullets or cockerels, keeping the pullet-breeders or
cockerel-breeders only as the case may be. This naturally does
not entail so much work as would be necessary if the two sorts
were bred.
WHAT IS IN-BREEDING. The A.B.C. of Breeding Poultry for Exhibition, Egg-Production and Table Purposes 1919
Novices are apt to be misled by the term " in-breed." To
serve as an illustration I will deal with " in-breeding " and then
" Line-breeding." In-breeding generally speaking is the mating of
brother and sister and is not to be recommended. Many fanciers
do in-breed I know, but whilst this mating of brother and sister is
likely to breed progeny possessing the qualities of each other,
disease can easily follow in its train. This is amply proved if we
mate a laying hen to her brother, for the result will more often
than not be fewer eggs from the progeny. If we continue the inbreeding
the next generation would be puny things and very inferior
layers. The same applies to in-breeding in exhibition birds ; if it is
practiced it must not be overdone, but on the other hand kept well
in check. To in-breed once in a way may be the means of fixing
a certain quality that the breeder could not obtain from any other
mating. All the other excellent points were in his birds with the
exception of the one for which he in-bred. This as I have said
may be all right within reason, but should not be encouraged too
much. In such cases make sure that the birds being mated up
are vigorous and healthy in every organ and limb ; this will assist
matters.
THREE WAYS OF IN-BREEDING. The A.B.C. of Breeding Poultry for Exhibition, Egg-Production and Table Purposes 1919
" In-breeding," says Mr. Harry R. Lewis" commonly means
the mating of individuals related for one generation. In-and-in
breeding indicates those showing a longer period and closer degree
of relationship. Three ways of in-breeding are:
In-breeding chart showing distribution of inherited 'characters. The black
denotes the blood lines of the male and the white those of the female. The
solid black lines show that a male has been chosen from the group from
which they start and the dotted lines a female
X-Male. O-Female.
1. Breeding sire and daughter which produces ¼
blood like the mother.
2. Breeding son and mother which produces progeny
with ¾ blood of the mother.
3. Breeding brother and sister which gives progeny with
blood lines from both sire and dam in equal proportions.
The latter (No. 3) is the mating referred to above as
undesirable. It is often adopted by breeders of both
Fancy stock and heavy egg-producers, but it must
not be over done. He must be sure of the vigour of
the parent stock, else this fault will be intensified in
the progeny.
ESTABLISHING A STRAIN. The A.B.C. of Breeding Poultry for Exhibition, Egg-Production and Table Purposes 1919
Strain is another word for pedigree and if we start with two
unrelated birds, build them up for successive generations so as to
throw the points we desire, we have established a strain. In
starting line-breeding we can commence with several hens or pullets
as one of the units, but all should be related (sisters) and of the
same breeding. It is best to get unrelated stock as the foundation
i.e., buy the male from one source and the female or females from
a different breeder. We must select these original units for " like
begets like " and as we go on each year certain points must be bred
for and perfected. Unlike cannot beget like, for how could a
White Dotte mated to a White Leghorn breed pure White
Wyandottes ? My readers must not suppose that line-breeding
solves the breeding-of-winners problem. By taking two medium
quality White Wyandottes and line-breeding without selection of
type, color, etc., we shall be no nearer our goal in ten years' time.
Line-breeding preserves the qualities in a strain ; if we start with
tip-top birds we shall soon breed tip-top birds, if with inferior stock
those that are inferior. Start with high-class original parents
and select rigorously each mating for type, color, etc. One thing
can be said of such a system of line-breeding, and that is, that when
a winner is once bred, it is bred, and other winners will follow.
Basics in Down Genes
All chickens have black and red (gold). These are the only colors in chickens. All the different patterns and colors depend on either restricting or enhancing these two colors.
THE DOWN GENES
E--extended black. dominate Chicks are hatched as black. In adult hood they are black with red (gold) or white (silver) in the hackles and saddles. (polecats, furriness) My Mottles have E.
e Wh -- dominate wheaten. Chicks hatch out as whitish. adults are: males: red hackle and saddle without stripping. Breast, tail, and wing bows black. Females: Wheat colored to reddish. Black restricted to the wings and tail. Example Wheaten. My Mille Fleurs have e wh.
e+ --wild. Chicks are brown like chipmunks when hatched, with striped head and back. In adult hood males: Much like the wheaten males above, but the red is not quite so bright. Females: Brownish with very fine black penciling on body. Breast is salmon Example Black Breasted Red/ Silver Ducklings.e b --dark brown. Chicks striped back with a blurred head. Adults males: as above. Females as above but have a red/brown breast instead of salmon.
e bc -- buttercup. Chicks as chicks above but the yellowish white stripe is wider. Head stripe is broken and irregular. Adults as above.
e y --recessive wheaten. chicks are white. Adults are like above but the red is darker and both sexes have striping in the saddle and hackle.
These are the foundation that the other genes work with to give us the colors and patterns that we enjoy in chickens. Extended black is the only dominate gene in this group. The others are incomplete dominate. A chick with 2 different down genes will show traits of each.
ENHANCERS OF BLACK
mi -- Melanotic. recessive This gene allows for the normally red areas of chickens to be black. (Melanotic plus E = a black bird).
DILUTERS OF BLACK [/b
Bl --Andalusin blue. One gene to a black bird will be blue. Two genes will be splash. See blue gene. One of my favorite genes. Without it I would only have Mottled and Mille Fleur. It changes a Mille Fleur to a Blue Mille Fleur of Golden Neck depending on the number of genes present. It also changes a Mottled to a Blue Mottled.
Co --Columbian dominate. Removes black to the hackle and tail. Makes for the male to have a white or buff breast. Males and females have same color instead of being different. This changes a Wheaten bird to a Buff Columbian
Db --Dark Brown. dominate Reported by Moore and Smyth (1972) makes a male into a black tailed white or buff or red while not removing all the stripping from the body of the female. A gene I'm not familiar with.
Ii -- Dominate white. effective in changing black to white but not so good on red e.g. creaminess on whites. Birds with Ii will have some black spots on breast. Used for Red Pyle Old English Game.
Er -- Erminette -- dominate. Reported by Hutt (1964) A heterozygous pattern Most feathers are white with the rest being black. Double dose birds are all white. Not a gene that I'm familiar with.
pi --Pied -- recessive Black and white are evenly marked. Best known example is Exchequer Leghorn. Another gene that I'm not familiar with.
Sd -- Sex Link Dilution. Reported by Munro (1946) Closely associated with Sex Linked Barring (B) Sd males are barred, Sd Sd males are white. Sd females are bluish ghost barred, sd females are barred. Another gene that I'm not familiar with.
RESTRICTORS OF BLACK AND RED
B -- Sex Link Barring-- dominate. "puts" white bars on the feather. Best example Barred Plymouth Rocks. Males can have 1 or 2 genes. Hence dark and light barred males. Females only 1. Males pass trait to sons and daughters. Females pass trait on to sons. Also effects red by having white bars on red feather. Best example Creel Old English Game.
mo -- Mottled --recessive. Makes a black bar with white spot below, at end of feather. Another one of my favorites. Without it I would only have Black and Buff Columbian (changes a black bird to a Mottled and a Buff Columbian bird to a Mille Fleur) .
DILUTERS OF BLACK AND GOLD
cc -- Recessive white --Changes both black and red to white. Working with recessive white can be tricky as it "white washes" a bird. It may have the phenotype of a totally different color or even a nonstandard color underneath the white. The only way to determine what the white is hiding is to mate it to a black bird. You can get barred, polecats, etc.
lav -- lavender.-- recessive. Black becomes gray and red feathers become cream.
rs -- red-splashed white. recessive Reported by Quinn (1934) A bird with 2 genes is reported to be white with splashes of red and black. Know nothing about this one either.
SEX LINK GOLD
G- --This is the second basic color of chickens (Black is the first) This makes for a buff colored bird (along with another gene) or causes the red in the red areas of the red and black bird.
ENHANCERS OF GOLD
ar -- Autosomal Red. -- Reported by Hutt (1949) In theory only. Independent of Sex Link Gold (red) as Silver doesn't effect it. Suggested that this makes for the Golden Duckwing Group. Personally know nothing about it. But suspect that Mh (mahogany) might do the same trick.
Mh --Mahogany. -- dominate. Makes for a dark red bird. Best known example : Rhode Island Red.
RESTRICTORS OF GOLD
S -- Sex Link Silver Incomplete dominate. Opposite of Sex Linked Gold. Changes gold to silver. Females have one gene. Males have 2 (or can have 1 of each). If a male has 1 for gold and one for silver his saddle and hackle is creamish. Changes a Black Breasted Red to Silver Duckwing or a Golden Sebright to a Silver Sebright.
DILUTERS OF GOLD
ig -- cream recessive. Reported by Punnett (1948) Described as introducing a rich cream to gold or a pale silver to silver. Know nothing about this one.
Di -- Dilute-- dominate Reported by Brumbaugh and Hollander Makes a red/gold bird into a buff. Another one that I haven't worked with.
cb -- champagne blond -- recessive. Also reported by Brumbaugh and Hollander. Reported to do the same as above. I tend to support this for Buffs from some breeding/crossing that I have done with Buff Plymouth Rocks, that there is a recessive gene that dilutes gold to a warm buff.
However some authors -- Somes and Smyth (1965) report that buffs carry a suppressor of red.
SECONDARY PATTERNS
Ab -- autosomal barring. Another gene I know nothing about.
Lg -- lacing. dominate gives the Partridge Plymouth Rock females the lacing pattern. Same for Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks.
Sp -- spangling. dominate. Jeffery call this trait a pattern. I think of it as black restrictor. It removes black from all of the feather except the very end making a black inverted V. Best known examples Silver Spangled Hamburg and Golden Spangled Hamburg.
Above information found on ultimatefowl wiki
All the above information can all so be found on my sticky https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=343605
Chris
