The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[KF0002]

I do know that birds with a wild type base that have 2 copies of mahagony can have distinct chipmunk down patterns, like my Speckled Sussex. So I wanted to correct myself. I have written 2 papers for my graduate classes in 2 days and my brain is no bueno.

 

[KF0002]

Well, I didn’t. I certainly don’t have the slightest grip on genetics. I didn’t want those 2 messing up my autosexing RIRs.

In order to produce autosexing birds, you must use the silver or barring gene, and RIR don't have either of those. Sorry, my friend. In theory it is a great idea because I hate growing out birds to end up with a bunch of roosters.

 

[WallyG74]

In order to produce autosexing birds, you must use the silver or barring gene, and RIR don't have either of those. Sorry, my friend. In theory it is a great idea because I hate growing out birds to end up with a bunch of roosters.

Whatever you want to call it, if my chicks have black dots on their heads, they’re pullets. If not, they’re cockerels. The only exceptions have been the 2 chipmunk chicks.

 

[KF0002]

I have looked for the genotype for RIRs and I believe it is e+/e+ Co/Co Mh/Mh (aka Black Tailed Reds) but don't quote me on it. The columbian gene affects the chick down pattern and removes most of the chipmunk pattern in birds with a wild type base. So RIRs born with a fully chipmunk pattern would be incomplete black-tailed reds (only one copy of the columbian gene).

Some RIR chicks are born with slight markings on a red down that is simply remnants of the wild type down pattern and is a normal variation. Some may have a few remnant markings, while others are solid red with no markings. Neither is an indicator of sex though and I have read that neither affects the adult plumage of the bird.

 

[KF0002]

Whatever you want to call it, if my chicks have black dots on their heads, they’re pullets. If not, they’re cockerels. The only exceptions have been the 2 chipmunk chicks.

I thought the same remnant markings you mentioned were sexually dimorphic characteristics a line of my husband's game chickens had. I was convinced the solid yellow ones were males and the marked-up ones were females, but I was proven wrong too many times and it is just variations in the chick down patterns that do not have anything to do with gender.

 

[KF0002]

@WallyG74 and here is even an interesting study about RIR chick down pattern.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9498448/

 

[WallyG74]

Not to be argumentative, all I can say is that I have hatched lots of RIRs and only the 2 have failed to be consistent with those markings.

 

[KF0002]

Not to be argumentative, all I can say is that I have hatched lots of RIRs and only the 2 have failed to be consistent with those markings.

I'm not trying to be argumentative either, I just can't grasp how that would be genetically possible. But I don't know it all that's for sure. Just when I think I have things halfway figured out, my chickens throw a curveball that leave me perplexed again.

 

[KF0002]

@WallyG74 the RIR study is a pretty cool read. I hadn't noticed before because I was looking for information on wheaten vs wild type chicks with the remnant stripes. But it actually mentions that the markings are more likely to occur in females. I don't think it is 100% but it will definitely be good to know once I start hatching from the incomplete BTR pair. I will have to see if the theory works for them. I am excited.

"The stripe pattern of RIR is generally shown as four longitudinal black stripes on the back and is more likely to appear in females" (Shen et al., 2022).

Reference

Shen, Q., Zhou, J., Li, J., Zhao, X., Zheng, L., Bao, H., & Wu, C. (2022). Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Candidate Genes for Stripe Pattern Feather Color of Rhode Island Red Chicks. Genes, 13(9), 1511. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13091511

 

[troyer]

Yes, that burns my bacon! Because I have nothing better to do than sit and wait on you to NOT come get the chickens you asked for.

Some of y’all like your bacon burnt.