Muff and beard genetics - still confused!

[TheFeatheredTempest]

I've been reviewing past posts on this topic but I'm still confused. Are the genes for beards and muffs linked? Same gene? Totally different? Dominant? Co-dominant?

I bought a group of EE chicks recently and they look good so far with pea combs and most have colored legs or are developing colored legs. But as far as I can tell none have noticeable beards or muffs

 

[GwenDellAnno]

Hmmm. Good question. I don't think the beard and muff genes are as dominant as the blue egg gene. So perhaps that is the feature that is lost most quickly when you cross your Ameracauna/Auracuana with whatever other breed to produce the EE.

EE's are mutt chickens, usually of americauna or auracauna stock (they both carry a double blue gene) crossed with some other breed. In the resulting offspring, the blue color gene is closely linked with the pea comb. If you want the seafoam green eggs, that would be a light brown layer crossed with an EE that has the blue egg gene. And to get really olive eggs you'd want to cross your green egged EE again with a darker brown layer. So... to get a pink egg, you'd want to cross say a leghorn (white egg) with something that lays a brown egg... say like a barred rock or RIR. (Your EE's with a single comb will likely either be brown or white layers).

 

[TheFeatheredTempest]

These are from a line that has been laying really nice sky blue eggs for the breeder. And they have white skin so many of their legs are coming out dark and not just willow. But I want beards and muffs too!

 

[Goose and Fig]

Tell me about it! I have 2 gorgeous pure wheaten ameraucana hens that are totally clean-faced. They look like big doves!

I started collecting faverolles, so I know that any EEs I will be making are sure to be super-bearded.

Not totally sure- but I think that if one parent is clean faced, you have a chance of getting some non-beared birds. The beard gene seems dominant, but it's not 100%. They don't NEED a beard to lay blue eggs. My Araucanas- some tufted and some clean faced- still lay nice pretty colored eggs.

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

They don't NEED a beard to lay blue eggs

No, but a beard/muff sure looks better on the Easter Egger, That is why I'm trying to breed mine from the 1st generation hatchery stock without mixing in any outside breeds to them for about 3 to 4 generations.​

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
No, but a beard/muff sure looks better on the Easter Egger, That is why I'm trying to breed mine from the 1st generation hatchery stock without mixing in any outside breeds to them for about 3 to 4 generations.

If they are beardless or is that muffless? IDK - anyway you might want to get full blooded Ameraucana stock from a breeder to get the beard/muff back in your lines. You will still wind up with EE's.

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

The majority of mine have beards/muffs (some call them beards and some muffs). I've ordered them from two different hatcheries, and I like the ones from Cackle hatchery best. The rest are from Ideal, they mostly have sprigs of beards on them but I think they are workable if put with the right rooster that is bearded. My main problem is that most ofthe roosters that I have to work withy are the ugly colored ones.

 

[cottagegarden]

Beards and muffs are dominant, so if you dont see them you wont get chicks with them. Birds will be either homozygous(two copies of the gene) or heterozygous(one).
If you breed two heterozygous birds you can still get 25% clean faced ones. The birds with only one copy can have smaller beards/muffs. I have one hen who has half a muff, came that way from a top breeder.
Fortunately she lays a green egg so she is in the layer pen and never a breeder.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
It's actually an incompletely dominant gene, meaning that a bird with one copy should have significantly less muff/beard than one with two copies. Yes, it is one gene that causes both muffs and beard. I have seen a naked neck or showgirl (forget which) which had muffs, but not beard, but I think that was due to the Na (naked neck) gene.

 

[TheFeatheredTempest]

Oh thank you Sonoran Silkies!

One gene, incomplete dominance.
Ok So what about this idea of breeding in faverolles to get nice thick muffs/beards? Or I guess maybe just buying a really nice purebred Americauna roo for my girls?
I forgot to mention they are bantam Easter eggers. Do you think being bantams has anything to do with it?
I noticed today that the oldest chick (they aren't all from same hen/clutch) is showing signs of sprouting a beard but still no muffs. The little beard literally was not there twelve hours ago! Wow They change so quickly! I'm tempted to just stare at them nonstop!