Genetically Speaking....

[HenHouse4Life]

Hello everyone! I'm trying to understand the 'basics' of genetics for my future references. For an old fart like me the so called laymens terms work best...if you can
I understand the BBS combos, got that down. I hear and read a lot of the 'recessive' and 'dominant' terms both on here and in books. While I understand what those words mean I'm wondering how do you know? I mean, if I have a hen that is white recessive how do I know?

I know, I know....probably been asked a million times but to be honest I'm very intrigued so any help at all would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!


-----Laurie

 

[Cyprus]

Hello Laurie
If you want to know whether a bird you have possesses a recessive or dominant trait, test breeding is the way to go. You breed said bird to a bird that has a known dominant trait, like black, and see what the cross yields. If offspring are all black with no leakage, the trait is recessive. If the bird is something other than that, the trait is dominant.

@The Moonshiner May be able to offer more

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Hello Laurie
If you want to know whether a bird you have possesses a recessive or dominant trait, test breeding is the way to go. You breed said bird to a bird that has a known dominant trait, like black, and see what the cross yields. If offspring are all black with no leakage, the trait is recessive. If the bird is something other than that, the trait is dominant.

@The Moonshiner May be able to offer more

Thank you Cyprus! So....I should do a test run, so to speak. Darn, more chicks
Your reply makes perfect sense!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Most everything I know about genetics I know because I've figured it out from breeding. And that's from decades of breeding birds.
You could learn light years faster then I did from searching and learning from the internet. That option wasn't around for me and I hate reading/ researching/ studing etc. So I'm really @$$ backwards about how I learned. It makes it hard for me to try to explain how to go about it or where to start for someone new.
I'm sure there's others here that can guide you and put you on a better path.
For the most part I just used birds I had and would try to break down their genetics.
When I had a few different colors/patterns I would break them down then figure what a cross from two should produce. I'd then breed them and see if they produced what I expected. Then I would break down the offsprings genetics and figure what I should get breeding them to each other or to something else or to one of the parents.
BBS was one of the first things I learned myself.
One thing I figured out early was silver vs gold and how it worked when crossing. It's sex linked and something that is present in every bird. That lead to understanding how sex linked genes worked and what other genes are sex linked.
The first thing I look at in birds is the e loci. I look at that as the base pattern of a bird and what everything is built on. I think that is something that should be understood from the beginning.
Those are the extended black, birchen, wild type, etc.
Once you understand those you can start looking at other genes and how they work.
Many are just a pattern gene that work pretty much the same across every pattern or color. Stuff like barring, mottling, etc.
Anyways there's a little info don't know how useful I can be but its cool that genetics interests you.
Hopefully others can get you started then when you have questions I'll help with anything I can.

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Most everything I know about genetics I know because I've figured it out from breeding. And that's from decades of breeding birds.
You could learn light years faster then I did from searching and learning from the internet. That option wasn't around for me and I hate reading/ researching/ studing etc. So I'm really @$$ backwards about how I learned. It makes it hard for me to try to explain how to go about it or where to start for someone new.
I'm sure there's others here that can guide you and put you on a better path.
For the most part I just used birds I had and would try to break down their genetics.
When I had a few different colors/patterns I would break them down then figure what a cross from two should produce. I'd then breed them and see if they produced what I expected. Then I would break down the offsprings genetics and figure what I should get breeding them to each other or to something else or to one of the parents.
BBS was one of the first things I learned myself.
One thing I figured out early was silver vs gold and how it worked when crossing. It's sex linked and something that is present in every bird. That lead to understanding how sex linked genes worked and what other genes are sex linked.
The first thing I look at in birds is the e loci. I look at that as the base pattern of a bird and what everything is built on. I think that is something that should be understood from the beginning.
Those are the extended black, birchen, wild type, etc.
Once you understand those you can start looking at other genes and how they work.
Many are just a pattern gene that work pretty much the same across every pattern or color. Stuff like barring, mottling, etc.
Anyways there's a little info don't know how useful I can be but its cool that genetics interests you.
Hopefully others can get you started then when you have questions I'll help with anything I can.

Thank you! I wish I had started on this when I was so much younger but life happens and now here I am trying to sort this all out!
Your info is great, thank you again

 

[Amer]

http://www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics/mutations1.html
http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html
Here are some sources that started me off. I learned how to apply it afterwards.
(I'm still a novice though, so I wouldn't be the best person to ask.)