Here's why stags get more traits from the hen
Some years ago we wrote about the observation that stags get their fighting traits from the mother. Yes many experienced breeders believe that fighting ability of a stag will likely come from the mother. This hen factor is based on observations that fighting style is being passed by the cock onto the daughters and by the hen onto the sons. This theory is called cris-cross inheritance and which is often credited for the so-called generation skip wherein the traits of a cock are more often seen in the grandsons rather than in the sons. (This has been established when it comes to some sex linked traits like color of leg or plumage, but not yet with regards to fighting style.)
This could be true, if some of these traits are indeed sex linked.
Based on our own experiences at RB Sugbo GT, it appeared that there is some grain of truth to the theory that fighting style of the stag is inherited from the mother.
This hen factor is one of the aspects we at RB Sugbo Gamefowl Technology consider in our methods of creating our triple crosses. Almost all the time we triple cross, we use a pure brood cock over two-way hens. The first, although not the compelling, reason for this is the theory that fighting style is inherited from the mother. We know that mostly crosses are better all-around fighters than pures so we hope that these ability would be inherited by the stags.
Then there are practical reasons. Usually there are more crosses than pures in a game fowl farm and in breeding we need more hens than brood cocks because a single cock may have as many as ten hens.
Thus, since in breeding we need many hens it is just natural that we use crossed hens because there are more of them than pures. Another practical reason is that, except for a few exceptions, as a rule crossed hens are better layers than pures. More eggs means more chicks and subsequently more stags to harvest.
However, what might be generally true is the observation that the hen contributes more traits to the offspring than the brood cock does. The reason is mitochondrial inheritance. Mitochondria,is a bacteria-like substance within the cells. It is the power generator of the cell. The Mitochondria converts nutrients into energy (ATP). A strong and efficient Mitochondria is key to athletic performance, and, for good health.
Only the mother can efficiently pass on mitochondria to the offspring. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is passed down from the hen to both stags and pullets.
So it is not surprising that there are traits that can only be inherited from the mother, those traits that are influenced by mitochondria. Therefore, the offspring actually get more traits from the mother than from the father.
This is just one of the more scientific explanations. Yet it is not as simple as that. We at RB Sugbo also consider other factors such as the wild type dominant traits and the mutations that are induced by the breeder. There is also the traits emphasized for the cock and those for the hen.
(Reminder: True breeding is all about producing the gamefowl you want, and has nothing to do with gambling and winning in the derbies. Breeding is very important, but good bloodline is not the sole factor that determines outcome of fights. There are many other factors such as conditioning, pointing, heeling, and luck. And these factors are outside the realm of breeding.
We are just talking about breeding.)
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