Decoding Quail Genetics: A Beginner's Guide to Breeding Marvels at Haven Hatchery

New to quail breeding and genetics?

Let's start with some key terms to help you understand the basics:

Breeding True:

When you pair two quail of the same variety, their offspring will have 100% the same color.

Homozygous:

Having two identical copies of a gene. It's represented by two of the same letter (e.g., hh). Homozygous pairs will consistently produce the same color.

Heterozygous:

Having two different copies of a gene, represented by two different letters (e.g., hf). Heterozygous pairs will produce 50% true, 25% homozygous, and 25% recessive offspring. We'll dive into "Calculating Genetics" soon.

Dominant:

An allele that is always expressed and cannot be hidden by other alleles. It's written with capital letters (e.g., H).

Recessive:

An allele that can be covered up by dominant alleles and may not always be visually expressed. It's written with lowercase letters (e.g., h). Tracking lineage helps identify recessive genes.

Incomplete Dominant:

An allele that doesn't completely mask recessive alleles but blends with them. It's still written with a capital letter (e.g., H incomplete). Note this distinction.

Locus:

The gene's location, written as a single or series of letters. More than two alleles can't be on the same locus, ensuring you won't find both Lavender and Andalusian genes in one bird.

Autosomal:

A gene on a non-sex chromosome.

Sex-Linked:

A gene on a sex chromosome.

Feather Sexable (FS):

Sex determination by feather patterns, usually visible around three to four weeks.

Not Feather Sexable (NFS):

Sex cannot be visually determined; vent sexing is required.

Phenotype:

Visible characteristics caused by genes, like natural feather color.

Allele:

A pair of genes on the same locus that control the same characteristic consistently.

Pleiotropic:

A single mutation affecting multiple unrelated phenotypes, such as dilutions in both feather and eye color.

Understanding these terms sets the foundation for comprehending your quail's genetics. Stay tuned for insights into calculating genetics!