Stubs and Feathered legs

[gayle]

It is believed that stubs and feathered legs are different genetics.

www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics/mutations2.html#gen_mut_footfeath

Foot Feathers

( Pti-1B, Pti-1L: Ptilopody 1-Brahma, Ptilopody 1-Langshan )
( Pti-2, Ptilopody 2 )
( pti-3, Pti-1L: Ptilopody 3 (Pavloff) )

* Images used in the following examples are from the Feathersite website.


Ptilopody

In "Poultry Breeding & Genetics" (Crawford, 1990), 3 ptilopody loci were noted, eg:

Pti-1
Pti-2
pti-3

2 dominants, 1 recessive


Some went a step further, identifying 2 alleles on the Pti-1 locus, ie Pti-1B & Pti-1L, the B dominant to L, eg:

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Stubs

Ht (Heel tuft feathering)
sb-1
sb-2


The last two genes came from a study on Rhode Island Reds (Crawford, 1990). It was mentioned that these stub genes may be partially sex-limited, as stubs expression was more prominent in males. Other studies indicated a polygenic basis for the stubs trait (ie, multiple genes involved, acummulative effect on expression).

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[d12chandler]

Gayle, do many people have problems with stubs in orps? I don't think I have ever had a stub on a orp. I had Dark Cornish stds once and you had to pull stubs before every show. They was very nice Cornish and I just lived with it. Finely got smart and sold out of Cornish.

[gayle]

Yes I think about every breed has turned up a chicken with stubs somewhere along the line.
There was another conversation I came across where some breeders claimed stubs would show up when introducing new blood or out crossing. But I think that might be a hypothetical statement.

[davek]

Gayle, I think based on observation and experience that the statement about stubs and feathered legs being two different things is absolutely true. And interesting to Orp breeders with all the Cochin crossing that some feel has been rampant. Some have reported stubs in their Orpingtons; often young birds who did eventually loose them. Stubs have actuallly turned up in lots of breeds including the very, very nice blue Andalusians that my wife worked with. Pretty sure that there was never, ever any Cochin infused into those birds and even more sure that waterfowl such as Cayuga, Rouen and Aylesbury ducks had not even a single Cochin cross in their wood pile. ;D Stubs is just something that seems to happen and while it can and does run in families for me is far less a problem than something more basic like a lack of breed type or character.