Feather Color Genetics in Chickens: A Fun Genetic Puzzle

Can you crack this genetic puzzle about feather color in chickens?

Feather color in some chickens is controlled by codominance. Let's explore some interesting questions:

a. What is the genotype for black chickens?

b. What is the genotype for white chickens?

c. What is the genotype for erminette chickens?

Here are the answers!

a. The genotype for black chickens is BB.

b. The genotype for white chickens is WW.

c. The genotype for erminette chickens (which show codominance of both white and black alleles) is BW.

Let's delve into the details:

In chickens, codominance refers to a situation where both alleles in a heterozygous condition equally express themselves. As per the question, the allele for black is B and the allele for white is W.

1. The genotype for black chickens: Black chickens have the genotype BB, meaning they inherit two copies of the black allele (B) from their parents.
2. The genotype for white chickens: White chickens have the genotype WW, meaning they inherit two copies of the white allele (W) from their parents.
3. The genotype for erminette chickens: Erminette chickens have a heterozygous genotype, which means they inherit one black allele (B) and one white allele (W). So, the genotype for erminette chickens is BW.