What's a recessive gene?

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I've been doing some searching, but I haven't found a simple and direct answer to my question: What is a recessive gene?

 

[chickentrains]

A recessive gene is a gene that needs two copies to be carried on. So two animals with the recessive gene will produce said recessive gene.

For example, the color blue in dogs is recessive. So two blue dogs will produce a blue dog. Black is dominant, so a blue dog and a black dog will produce black dogs, that carry blue. So if you bred those carrying blue black dogs to a blue dog, those offspring will be half blue, half black.

I hope I make sense. I know a lot about dog color genetics, but not much about chicken genetics. I can at least explain recessive and dominant traits

 

[The Moonshiner]

Lavender and mottling are a couple examples.
Basically it means it takes two copies (one from each parent) for it to be expressed or show.
When a bird has just one copy it is sight unseen.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

How much about genetics do you know? Just trying to get a handle on what level you’re on. Dominant and recessive genes are kind of one of the earlier things you learn when learning about genetics so if you don’t have a good foundation to build on, learning the basics is the best place to start.

 

[CurlyQuail]

Short answer:
Recessive genes need both parents to have the gene for the baby to get it.

Long answer:
A perfect example is blue vs brown eyes in humans. Blue eyes are recessive and brown eyes are dominant. For the sake of explanation, a capital B is going to represent the brown gene and a lowercase b is going to represent the blue gene. Each parent has two letters whether they be both be lowercase, both be capital, or some combination.

Some examples:

• Both parents are bb = the baby has to have blue eyes
• Both parents are BB = the baby has to have brown eyes
• Both parents are Bb = the baby could have blue or brown eyes (because both parents cary the recessive gene)
• One parent has BB and one parent has bb = the baby has to have brown eyes (only one parent is a carrier)
• One parent has BB and one parent has Bb = the baby has to have brown eyes (only one parent is a carrier)

 

[CHlCKEN]

A recessive gene is one that needs two copies in order for it to be passed down

 

[chickentrains]

Short answer:
Recessive genes need both parents to have the gene for the baby to get it.

Long answer:
A perfect example is blue vs brown eyes in humans. Blue eyes are recessive and brown eyes are dominant. For the sake of explanation, a capital B is going to represent the brown gene and a lowercase b is going to represent the blue gene. Each parent has two letters whether they be both be lowercase, both be capital, or some combination.

Some examples:

• Both parents are bb = the baby has to have blue eyes
• Both parents are BB = the baby has to have brown eyes
• Both parents are Bb = the baby could have blue or brown eyes (because both parents cary the recessive gene)
• One parent has BB and one parent has bb = the baby has to have brown eyes (only one parent is a carrier)
• One parent has BB and one parent has Bb = the baby has to have brown eyes (only one parent is a carrier)

perfect example!

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Primary reason for using "recessive" and "dominant" terms is to describe one particular trait. Simple explanation is as follows:

1) A chick receives half it's DNA from mom and half it's DNA from dad.
2) A chick needs to receive TWO copies of a recessive gene for that recessive gene to be "visual" or "express" on that chick - that means they need to receive one copy from mom and one from dad.
3) If a chick only receives ONE copy of a recessive gene (so from one parent only) then they carry that one gene but it is "non visual" or "not expressed" on that chick. We often call that "being split to that recessive trait" - i.e. "split to/for lavender".

The secondary reason for using "recessive" and "dominant" terms is to describe the "heirarchy" or "order" in which multiple traits show on a bird.

For example Colour A might be considered "dominant" over Colour B. Or alternatively that Colour B is "recessive" to Colour A. So even though your chick might be genetically expressing both colours - Colour A is the only one you see and Colour B is hidden.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Here is a Punnet square which illustrates what others have posted. The capital letter is the dominant gene and the lower case letter is the recessive gene. Sometimes having a visual helps.
The example shown below shows two individuals that show the dominant gene (phenotype) but both carry the recessive gene (Aa). The potential offspring of the two individuals are shown in the individual boxes.
1/4 will have two copies of the dominant gene and not be carriers of the recessive gene. (AA)
1/2 will have one copy of the dominant gene, but carry the recessive gene and not show it (Aa), and 1/4 will have two copies of the recessive gene and show it (aa).
Hope this makes sense.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

Here is a Punnet square which illustrates what others have posted. The capital letter is the dominant gene and the lower case letter is the recessive gene. Sometimes having a visual helps.
The example shown below shows two individuals that show the dominant gene (phenotype) but both carry the recessive gene (Aa). The potential offspring of the two individuals are shown in the individual boxes.
1/4 will have two copies of the dominant gene and not be carriers of the recessive gene. (AA)
1/2 will have one copy of the dominant gene, but carry the recessive gene and not show it (Aa), and 1/4 will have two copies of the recessive gene and show it (aa).
Hope this makes sense.
View attachment 2603242

Thanks everybody! And you were right Jade, visuals do help! I've seen Punnet squares before with colors like B and b (lowercase and uppercase), and I thought it was just the initial for the color, but if I understand correctly, uppercase is dominant and lowercase is recessive? Please correct me if I'm wrong anybody!