What IS a Frizzle?

[Sonoran Silkies]

Curlies (birds with two copies of frizzle) do not usually look like the photo above. It is not a lethal gene. If you want to INTRODUCE frizzle into a breed, then yes, you will have to crossbreed, but the gene can be already be found in most breeds, so there is no need to crossbreed

Araucanas are not crossbred. They are often bred to araucanas without tufts. You can never get more than 50% tufted birds because the tuft gene is lethal in two doses.

You cannot get a purebred in the first generation of crossbreeding. It can take many generations to get back to purebred. Frizzle to non frizzle gives 50% frizzled and 50% non-frizzled. Frizzle to frizzle gives 25% non-frizzled, 50% frizzled and 25% curley.

 

[LTygress]

It still sounds like Frizzle, like the Araucana tufts, is a half-dominant gene. It only displays correctly in a half-dominant form. Double-dominant in the Araucana tuft is lethal. Double-dominant in Frizzle is NOT frizzle. Double-recessive in both is just a plain old chicken (kinda). But half-dominant in both is "perfect". And there is never a way to actually get 100% offspring with Araucana tufts, nor Frizzle feathers.

 

[LTygress]

Another question... how do hatcheries know when they are selling "frizzle" chicks? You don't know it will end up Frizzle until the feathers start to grow, right? Or are they just selling the offspring of Frizzle, and you have to HOPE you got the 50% with the right feathers?

 

[Habibs Hens]

Another question... how do hatcheries know when they are selling "frizzle" chicks? You don't know it will end up Frizzle until the feathers start to grow, right? Or are they just selling the offspring of Frizzle, and you have to HOPE you got the 50% with the right feathers?

now there is a great question that even im intrigued about

 

[LTygress]

I'm wondering because I saw McMurray has red, white, and black frizzle. But if I get the 50% without the frizzle feathers, then it's essentially a waste, because the gene is recessive and they will never produce frizzle in future generations.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It still sounds like Frizzle, like the Araucana tufts, is a half-dominant gene. It only displays correctly in a half-dominant form. Double-dominant in the Araucana tuft is lethal. Double-dominant in Frizzle is NOT frizzle. Double-recessive in both is just a plain old chicken (kinda). But half-dominant in both is "perfect". And there is never a way to actually get 100% offspring with Araucana tufts, nor Frizzle feathers.

The proper term is "incompletely dominant."

Yes, you can get 100% frizzle offspring if one parent is a curley (two copies of the gene). Frizzle is not lethal, so that is not an issue, although in many or most cases the feathers tend to be quite brittle and break easily.

 

[LTygress]

Ah, got it.

Still wish I knew how hatcheries KNOW when they are selling frizzle...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Could be they have a disclaimer like they do on blue birds...you can always call and ask...

 

[Habibs Hens]

Could be they have a disclaimer like they do on blue birds...you can always call and ask...

blue birds???


what's the declaimer on that

 

[LTygress]

I think I saw one of those disclaimers recently. It said something about blue chickens not breeding true because it is a dilute of black. It said breeding two blue resulted in 25% black, 25% splash, and 50% blue.