Tail less birds

[QUADCH]

Hi All,
First post here, usually just lurk. Hope you don\'t mind a question. One of my white chicks is tail less. Is that common? Does it mean its an Araucana cross?
Thanks

[bryngyld]

Rumplessness is a dominant gene in Araucanas so your chick would need at least one of it\'s parents to also be rumpless, if the taillessness is genetic.  Assuming that the parent has Araucana background would be a good bet.  Where did you get your chicks?  

[John]

One of my white chicks is tail less

It may be tailless but not truly rumpless.  Give it time if it is a chick.

[Korfus Kluckers]

Could you post a picture? I have a few Ameraucanas look tail less. My Orpingtons never seem to get their tails till five months LOL.

[QUADCH]

Thanks for the reply. I should stop calling them chicks, they are about 7 weeks old now. I hatched them from eggs bought from a reputable ABC breeder. Here are some pics. #1 normal tail, #2 tailless?, and #3 tail stump? Also can any one  tell the sex on them yet? Thanks so much !

[Mike Gilbert]

There is more than one form of rumplessness (no tail).  Plus this condition could have been caused by damage to the developing embryo.   So far, #2 definitely looks rumpless, but #3 appears to have a short tail.   Give them time.

[Jean]

I have had a few of my birds come up slow to feather with the new rooster I am using.

Give the birds a little more time, the tails will come in, there is no araucana blood in them.  I got my breeding stock from longstanding members of the club........

I think you will also find that the slow to feather birds are cockerels.

Jean

[bryngyld]

I\'m wondering what the tail area looks like under the feathers.  Is there still a little stubby place?  Is that missing in the rumpless Araucanas?

[Mike Gilbert]

It isn\'t as simple as fully rumpless versus tailed.   There can be all manner of intermediate forms as well.   I have had Araucana bantams that are fully rumpless (the only kind I have now), fully tailed, some with one or two tail feathers, some with most but not all of a tail, etc., etc.  

[Guest]

Looks like your birds carry an autosomal recessive gene called tardy feathering.  The tail feathers will eventually grow into a normal  tail. I have had the gene show up in leghorns I have hatched and I have the gene in my Rhode Island Red.

Tim

[Jean]

Tim,

That runs in the male chromosomes doesn\'t it?  If so, I will cull the current rooster I am using.  As this is a new problem.

Thanks,

Jean

[Mike Gilbert]

Jean,
\"Autosomal\" means carried on a non-sexlink chromosome.   So if this particular slow feathering is caused by an autosomal gene it would have had to been inherited from both parents (if recessive)  or either parent (if dominant) to be manifested in the progeny.   I can\'t find my Sellers print-out right now, but will get back later if I do find it.

[Jean]

Thanks Mike for clearing that up for me.  I hadn\'t had that until I started using my new cockerel, so I assumed he was the carrier.

See what happens when you assume things.....

Jean

[Mike Gilbert]

Okay, I found my Sellers genetics info.   Rate of feathering is controlled by a sex-linked (not autosomal) gene symbolized as K.   There are four possibilities at this allele.   Small k designates the recessive gene that results in rapid feathering.   Capital K
designates late feathering.    K>s  results in slower feathering than K, and K>n indicates Very slow feathering.   This one results in bare patches on the backs of juvenile birds, especially males that are K>n, K>n (have two copies).     The good news is that since rapid feathering (k) is recessive - once you have it in the pure form it will always be there and will not be lost.   Desireable recessives are the easiests genes to segregate and retain.    
Incidentally, the symbol for dominant rumplessness is Rp.
There is also recessive rumplessness symbolized as rp-2, and it is associated with a skeletal deformity called roachback.

[QUADCH]

Thanks all, lots of good info.

Looks like your birds carry an autosomal recessive gene called tardy feathering.  The tail feathers will eventually grow into a normal  tail. I have had the gene show up in leghorns I have hatched and I have the gene in my Rhode Island Red.

Tim

Tim is this the same slow feathering gene that allows day old chicks to be sexed by wing feather length?