Rooster with Hen feathering (gallo-gallina gallineta gallino)

[Pollito Pelon]

How common or rare is hen feathering in roosters?
Also what causes this mutation

currently living in Mexico and while I have not seen it in person I have seen people share online or talk about gallo-gallinas or gallinetas which is the common term here.
I had read somewhere that this is caused by in-breeding but does anybody have any information of this.

Also is it possible to pass this genetic mutation to offspring if bred?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Hen feathering is a dominant gene and is not too uncommon in gamefowl. It’s not a new mutation every time a rooster with hen feathering is born, he either got the gene from his mother or his father. If you breed a rooster with hen feathering to a hen without the gene (hens can have the gene, too, but it doesn’t affect their appearance at all) 50-100% of their offspring will have hen feathering.

 

[DarJones]

Hen feathering is a result of reduced testosterone production. Said another way, the unique feathering of a rooster is because testosterone causes a type of dimorphism (it just means 2 forms) where hens get one feather pattern and roosters - because of testosterone - get a different pattern.

There are problems with hen feathering primarily because the roosters are less inclined to mate and usually have reduced sperm production.

I once considered breeding for hen feathering with my blue egg laying Silver Laced Wyandottes. I chose not to do so because there are already enough problems caused by the sperm motility issues associated with the rose comb allele on chromosome 7. But just in case you wonder, in the early 1900's there was a line of Silver Laced Wyandottes that were hen feathered. I found pictures in a book which you can dig out if so inclined. IIRC, it was published in 1906.