The Wyandotte Thread

[slick4591]

Thank you and they are Foley birds. Since i have only two laying I have not thrown in a cockerel just yet. I sure have my fingers crossed for when I do.

 

[Texasmja]

http://www.andrologyjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/11/2/113


Onset of spermatozoal degeneration in low-fertility Delaware roosters and test for autoimmune basis

D. P. Froman, J. D. Kirby, R. M. Lawler and P. E. Bernier
Department of Poultry Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-3402.

 

[Texasmja]

http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/91/1/125.short


Comparative metabolism of spermatozoa from subfertile Delaware and Wyandotte roosters

J. D. Kirby and D. P. Froman

"These results provide further evidence that heritable subfertility in Delaware and Wyandotte roosters is attributable to distinct sperm defects."

 

[Texasmja]

http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1002775


The Rose-comb Mutation in Chickens Constitutes a Structural Rearrangement Causing Both Altered Comb Morphology and Defective Sperm Motility

 

[slick4591]

Thanks for the links. Explains some things.

 

[Texasmja]

Thanks for the links. Explains some things.

Your welcome. In the third link I found it interesting that there was a second R gene (R2) alle found. But that in HZ state didn't cause infertility issues in roosters. The Wyandotte only carries (R1), and in HZ state in the male is bad for fertility.


I found it interesting that the "columbian gene" was related to fertility issues in the Delaware, that adds more questions for me about Wyandotte...is it also affected?

But overall all studies show that fertility is genetic and inherited. That is important.

Any rooster I keep will be test bred to single comb hens to know right away and cull accordingly. There is no reason to waste money keeping a HZ (RR) rooster in a breeding flock. HZ (RR) hens do not have fertility issues.

Another thing to remember, some of the Wyandotte lines are intensely inbred, that also causes fertility issues, so if it is not related to the rose comb HZ it could be that issue. I posted in an earlier post (6579) how to fix that in a breeding flock. Hybrid vigor is IMPORTANT for fertility.

 

[slick4591]

I have five pullets, so when I know I have four laying I'm throwing a cockerel in there to see if he can get the job done. If he doesn't work then I'll be going different routes.

 

[Bentley]

Your welcome. In the third link I found it interesting that there was a second R gene (R2) alle found. But that in HZ state didn't cause infertility issues in roosters. The Wyandotte only carries (R1), and in HZ state in the male is bad for fertility.


I found it interesting that the "columbian gene" was related to fertility issues in the Delaware, that adds more questions for me about Wyandotte...is it also affected?

But overall all studies show that fertility is genetic and inherited. That is important.

Any rooster I keep will be test bred to single comb hens to know right away and cull accordingly. There is no reason to waste money keeping a HZ (RR) rooster in a breeding flock. HZ (RR) hens do not have fertility issues.

Another thing to remember, some of the Wyandotte lines are intensely inbred, that also causes fertility issues, so if it is not related to the rose comb HZ it could be that issue. I posted in an earlier post (6579) how to fix that in a breeding flock. Hybrid vigor is IMPORTANT for fertility.

Be careful how you interpret this information.

I personally know the authors of this research, read all the papers and have discussed this with them. One thing you have to take into account with scientific research like this is that the studies are designed to find differences, if they exist. For instance, most of this type of work (I am painting a broad picture here because there is a lot of work similar to this) will design the experiment so as to use sperm counts that are far below what a male actually deposits in the hen during natural mating. During 'normal' mating a male will deposit 2, 3 or 4 times the sperm count used in research studies, sometimes even much higher than this. So for example, when a scientist reports a 20% reduction in sperm numbers or fertility and a male actually deposits 4 times more sperm in the hen than is necessary then a reduction of 20% in sperm quality or quantity has little to no effect on fertility under normal mating conditions. I have a lot of experience in this area in many MANY situations and 95% of the time that actual poor fertility occurs it is due to infrequent mating.

 

[Bentley]

As a follow up to this, yes, inbreeding CAN eventually lead to reduced fertility. This would be a combination of poor sperm production by the male, in hospitable environment in the hen to store sperm, and certainly decreased mating activity. Most of the time out crossing with a new line or possibly even with a different breed becomes necessary to get that Hybrid Vigor back. The biggest benefit to this is usually an increase in activity levels which results in an increase in mating activity and therefore increase in fertility.

 

[DMRippy]

I know now why you can't find many SLW eggs.....