# Genetics Question



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I would like to start breeding one breed of chickens, but before I do I want to learn genetics. I am a research nut and hate jumping into something without understanding it. I still havnt chosen the specific breed I will breed but do know I am aiming for one of the critical or threatened breeds on the ALBC site. I want to focus on keeping the breed up to the SOP. So my question is, Is their a good book or website/s that give good accurate details about genetics? I dont want a site that a blog or personal opinion. I'm looking for real info on how to breed to SOP and understanding genetics so I can breed the best I can. 

Thanks


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Talk to the buckeye group. Jeff Lay has posted genetics at least twice already on the forum.


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## fuzziebutt (Aug 7, 2012)

I would also figure out the breed you want, and then talk to the top genetics people there are around about it. You know chicken people, they love to talk chickens!! Especially when they do something right, they want to tell it.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I'm really leaning towards Faverolles, they were originially bred for meat and winter laying which is perfect for Wisconsin . I will go check out the buckeye thread. Thanks


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

Apyl,

I don't think you need to understand genetics in order to breed a specific breed of chicken and I say this having many years of experience breeding to the SoP and what I know about genetics is just enough to be dangerous!!! Unfortunately, I don't know one single book that is going to help you but there are many that offer some insight into understanding how to breed "standard bred" poultry. One book I like is called "The Mating and Breeding of Poultry" by Harry M. Lamon & Rob Slocum. However, I don't think this book even mentions Faverolles at ALL?!?!? You would do best trying to find any old books or articles written specifically about the breed you choose. Buckeyes are an excellent cold climate breed and good winter layer as well, everyone who has taken up raising Buckeyes find them to be an excellent dual purpose fowl and falls in love with their demeanor. They are very calm but active large fowl and the fact that they are the ONLY breed developed by a woman is an added bonus! I think the breeds developer, Nettie Metcalf knew what she wanted in a chicken and the Buckeye is the REAL "Ladies" breed in my personal opinion....roosters are seldom aggressive, hens are very friendly, too!

Back to genetics, is there a reason you feel learning genetics is important when breeding to a "standard"??? My personal belief is having an understanding of genetics is more important to the person that is NOT working from a standard than it is for the brred who has a well defined standard as his or her guide. When we start with good quality fowl and breed to a standard we simply mater offsetting traits....if the beak is too long in a male we bred to a female that has a shorter beak in an effort to offset the trait. About the only place genetics has come into play for me with my Buckeyes was understanding how I was getting single combs from some of my matings and the improtant lesson to learn here was understanding complete and incomplete dominance. All that genetic stuff is never going to be completely clear in my head so I don't worry myself so much with understanding the details of genetics. Yet, I'm able to breed some pretty decent Buckeyes! That's just my two cents....good luck with your quest!

Almost forgot, there are 3 books on genetics that are referenced in Harry Lamon's book mentioned above and I have read ALL three gleaning what little my small brain can handle on the subject of genetics. One in particular is called, "Mechanism of Mendelian Heredity" by Morgan, Sturtevant, Muller and Bridges (1915) and I found this book interesting to say the least. You might find a copy of this at Google Books in electronic format, too?!?!?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

BuckeyeChickens said:


> Apyl,
> 
> I don't think you need to understand genetics in order to breed a specific breed of chicken and I say this having many years of experience breeding to the SoP and what I know about genetics is just enough to be dangerous!!! Unfortunately, I don't know one single book that is going to help you but there are many that offer some insight into understanding how to breed "standard bred" poultry. One book I like is called "The Mating and Breeding of Poultry" by Harry M. Lamon & Rob Slocum. However, I don't think this book even mentions Faverolles at ALL?!?!? You would do best trying to find any old books or articles written specifically about the breed you choose. Buckeyes are an excellent cold climate breed and good winter layer as well, everyone who has taken up raising Buckeyes find them to be an excellent dual purpose fowl and falls in love with their demeanor. They are very calm but active large fowl and the fact that they are the ONLY breed developed by a woman is an added bonus! I think the breeds developer, Nettie Metcalf knew what she wanted in a chicken and the Buckeye is the REAL "Ladies" breed in my personal opinion....roosters are seldom aggressive, hens are very friendly, too!
> 
> ...


Thank you for your insigth and knowledge. I guess I thought that if I could understand genetics I would have a better chance at breeding bad traits out and keeping to the traits that need to be. After talking with another local breeder thru my county 4-H extention I was told it will be neer impossible to get decent Favorells for heritage breeding. I'm kinda bummed about that since I love the way they look. I have been trying to look online but have not found much info on breeders. As for the Buckeyes, I have thought about that breed in the past when you first joined and I read about the cold hardiness. I am still not 100% sure what breed I will now choose. I was wanting to work on a breed listed in the ALBC as critical or endanged. I figure I would like to start next year.

Thank you again, I love to read your resposes.


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

Apyl said:


> Thank you for your insigth and knowledge. I guess I thought that if I could understand genetics I would have a better chance at breeding bad traits out and keeping to the traits that need to be. After talking with another local breeder thru my county 4-H extention I was told it will be neer impossible to get decent Favorells for heritage breeding. I'm kinda bummed about that since I love the way they look. I have been trying to look online but have not found much info on breeders. As for the Buckeyes, I have thought about that breed in the past when you first joined and I read about the cold hardiness. I am still not 100% sure what breed I will now choose. I was wanting to work on a breed listed in the ALBC as critical or endanged. I figure I would like to start next year.
> 
> Thank you again, I love to read your resposes.


Apyl, selecting a breed that suits your "fancy" so to speak isn't always easy and I would agree with your 4H extension local breeder on Faverolles! The Buckeye is NOT as critical or endangered as the ALBC has suggested but they did a lot for the breed by claiming it was in need of support back in 2006-2007. Even back then Buckeyes were available thru several hatcheries, the quality was not great but they were Buckeyes none the less! Breeds that are more difficult to find are my idea of endangered and if a hatchery is selling them well I'm thinking they are not very rare but again the quality of hatchery stock is another subject entirely. My advice to folks looking for a breed is to visit poultry shows and look at what is being shown or better yet what isn't there! Very few people were showing Buckeyes 10 years ago but today you see more and more of them plus some are even winning the American Class. This is the true measure of a breed making a comeback because folks are taking an interest! I don't do a lot of poultry shows myself but I sell a lot of Buckeyes to people who are showing and 10 years ago that wasn't the case.

Good luck with your search!!!


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