Hen feathering
A sex-limited dominant trait causing female plumage in male fowl.
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Hen feathering in cocks is a genetically conditioned character in domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) where males develop a female-type plumage while otherwise appearing and behaving as virile males. This condition is a typical characteristic of the Sebright Bantam, a breed established circa 1810 by Sir John Saunders Sebright, and has drawn significant biological interest due to its unusual inheritance and hormonal basis.
Quick Facts
- Associated breed
- Sebright Bantam
- Genetic symbol
- Hf (proposed by F. B. Hutt, 1958)
Facts from the source article.
Background
Hen-feathering in cocks is controlled by a simple autosomal dominant gene, designated Hf by F. B. Hutt in 1958. Both homozygous Hf/Hf and heterozygous Hf/hf males exhibit hen-feathering, while hf/hf males have normal feathering. Female carriers of the Hf gene cannot be identified without progeny tests. Attempts to demonstrate genetic linkage to several known loci have been unsuccessful.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Hen feathering (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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