miniPCR® Frizzle Chicken DNA Test

Use PCR to genotype your own chickens for the frizzle allele that causes curly feathers.

• Techniques: DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis

  Topics: Agricultural biotechnology, genetics, inheritance

  Grade level: Advanced high school, college

  Time required: Can be completed in two 45-minute periods

Frizzle chickens have slightly curly feathers and are valued for their looks. The frizzle trait follows an incomplete dominance pattern of inheritance, but having two copies of the frizzle allele causes serious health issues. In some chicken strains, other genes can mask the frizzle feather phenotype. In those cases, it is important to test to ensure any birds you breed with frizzle chickens do NOT carry the frizzle allele. This kit lets you use DNA testing to genotype your own chickens for the recessive white allele. By genotyping birds, students can distinguish between homozygous and heterozygous individuals, reinforcing key concepts of inheritance while solving real-world challenges in avian science.

 : This lab kit provides PCR reagents and tubes to test 32 bird samples +6 controls.