Influence of Plumage Color on Hatching Ratio and Growth Rate in Chickens

Abstract

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE GREDINA (cited by Landauer, 1951) found embryo viability to be affected by the sex-linked early feathering gene, k. In matings between early and late feathering Rhode Island Reds, embryos with the phenotype for early feathering hatched better than embryos with the phenotype for late feathering. In matings of Rhode Island Red males to Barred Plymouth Rock females, Hutt (1951) found the gene for extended black plumage E, was lethal to about 3.6% of the black, non-barred female progeny. The barring gene, B, and the early feathering gene, k, were found to interact favorably with E, thereby preventing its lethal action. Jaap and Grimes (1956) presented evidence that in dominant white chickens interaction between the gene for inhibition of black plumage, I, and the gene for extended black plumage, E, suppressed body growth rate to eight weeks of age. Growth reduction resulting from interaction of I and E was 0.03 . . .