Where Are My Foot Feathers?

[3KillerBs]

One of my males is feather-footed, a Black Langshan.

5 of my hens are feather-footed -- a Black Langshan, a Silver-Laced Cochin, a Light Brahma, and two French Cuckoo Marans.

I did not set eggs from the Brahma because she lays wonky eggs that I didn't want to perpetuate but I did set eggs from the other feather-footed girls where I could pin the hen to the egg (having actually watched the Black Langshan lay the egg, which I promptly marked). In particular, over 2 batches I hatched 4 FCM eggs.

But out of 21 eggs hatched I have only 2 feather-footed chicks. And one sex-linked boy, who can only be from one of the FCM eggs because he has a single comb, is clean-legged.

I thought feathered feet were dominant. What's going on?

I could actually buy the idea that the Black Langshan cockerel isn't fathering any chicks because I've never actually seen him mate (though I was getting fertile bullseyes while the Blue Australorp was only about 6-8 weeks old).

I *might* buy the idea that none of the eggs from the Cochin or the Langshan girls hatched -- though I tried to deliberately select a few for incubation.

But how am I not getting feathered feet from the Marans eggs?

 

[3KillerBs]

@nicalandia @NatJ @MysteryChicken

Not sure who else to tag.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Well, there are a couple breeds that have a recessive leg feather genes, I think one of those is the BredaFowl.

I believe Marans, & Langshan carry the dominant Leg Feather gene.

Are you sure he doesn't have just little stubs of feathering on his legs? Jelly Bean does. She's Mille Fleur D'uccle/OEGB X OEGB.

it's barely visible, but it's there.

 

[NatJ]

I could actually buy the idea that the Black Langshan cockerel isn't fathering any chicks...

I *might* buy the idea that none of the eggs from the Cochin or the Langshan girls hatched...

But how am I not getting feathered feet from the Marans eggs?

Do you know how many total Marans eggs hatched? I don't know how carefully you keep track of the number set vs. hatched of each type.

If the number of chicks with feathered feet is less than the number of Marans eggs that hatched, then I agree the Marans must be producing some clean legged chicks.

I thought feathered feet were dominant. What's going on?

Maybe one of the mothers only has one copy of the gene for feathered feet?
That would be enough for her to show it, but she could pass not-feathered to some of her chicks.

And one sex-linked boy, who can only be from one of the FCM eggs because he has a single comb, is clean-legged.

I don't know what other breeds you have, but it's not rare for rose comb chickens to produce single comb chicks. Rose comb is a dominant gene, and you can't tell whether the bird also has the recessive gene for not-rose unless you see it in the parent or the offspring.

If you know he has barring, then he must have at least one parent with barring (which should be obvious on most feather colors, but of course a white chicken or pale-colored chicken could have the gene for barring without being obvious.)

So I would check whether you have any other hens with barring, and see what comb types they have, just in case that is the explanation.

 

[3KillerBs]

Are you sure he doesn't have just little stubs of feathering on his legs?

Yes, quite sure.

One of the 3 FCM pullets I got last spring was like that and I sold her because I like and want foot feathers.

Do you know how many total Marans eggs hatched? I don't know how carefully you keep track of the number set vs. hatched of each type.

4 of them between the 2 batches. I double and triple checked my records.

I don't know which other chicks were out of the Marans eggs, but 4 FCM hatched and only 2 feather-footed chicks.

I don't know what other breeds you have, but it's not rare for rose comb chickens to produce single comb chicks. Rose comb is a dominant gene, and you can't tell whether the bird also has the recessive gene for not-rose unless you see it in the parent or the offspring.

My barred-carrying females are a Dominque and a California White. I didn't band the headspot chick immediately so I *could* be mistaken, but I believe that both headspotted chicks from that batch were out of Marans eggs -- I noticed the lack of foot feathers right away. (They were among the first 3 chicks to hatch, the others being blues).

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yes, quite sure.

View attachment 3088900

One of the 3 FCM pullets I got last spring was like that and I sold her because I like and want foot feathers.



4 of them between the 2 batches. I double and triple checked my records.

I don't know which other chicks were out of the Marans eggs, but 4 FCM hatched and only 2 feather-footed chicks.



My barred-carrying females are a Dominque and a California White. I didn't band the headspot chick immediately so I *could* be mistaken, but I believe that both headspotted chicks from that batch were out of Marans eggs -- I noticed the lack of foot feathers right away. (They were among the first 3 chicks to hatch, the others being blues).

Are you able to get a close up of the legs, so I can give them a good look over?

 

[NatJ]

One of the 3 FCM pullets I got last spring was like that and I sold her because I like and want foot feathers.

Then we know that line has the genes for not-foot-feathers in some of the birds. Probably one or more of your females were carrying those genes too, and that's what the chick inherited.

4 of them between the 2 batches. I double and triple checked my records.

I don't know which other chicks were out of the Marans eggs, but 4 FCM hatched and only 2 feather-footed chicks.

Taking that information with the clean-legged FCM pullet you had last year, I think you must have at least one feather-legged female carrying the genes for clean legs.

Depending on how carefully you track which hen lays which eggs that hatch which chicks, you might be able to tell whether both hens or just one are producing clean legged chicks. The small sample size of 2/4 isn't enough to tell for sure if it's one or both of them.

If you want to breed for feather-legged chicks, you can just keep the ones with feathered legs, and plan on hatching twice as many of those eggs in future to allow for culling the clean legged ones.

My barred-carrying females are a Dominque and a California White. I didn't band the headspot chick immediately so I *could* be mistaken, but I believe that both headspotted chicks from that batch were out of Marans eggs -- I noticed the lack of foot feathers right away. (They were among the first 3 chicks to hatch, the others being blues).

Since you know some Marans eggs produced clean legged chicks, and you are fairly sure about which chicks came from those eggs, you are probably right that the Dominique and the California White are not the mothers in this case

 

[3KillerBs]

Are you able to get a close up of the legs, so I can give them a good look over?

Maybe tonight after dark. They're not tame.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Maybe tonight after dark. They're not tame.

Okay, sounds good.

 

[3KillerBs]

Taking that information with the clean-legged FCM pullet you had last year, I think you must have at least one feather-legged female carrying the genes for clean legs.

She wasn't clean-legged, just sparsely feathered.