Lavender cuckoo easter egger - Page 2

I've raised lavender cuckoos for several year now, in d'anver and bantam phoenix. If you know a way to sex them based off color as day olds, that's news to me. They are all colored the same lavender color with a white dot on the head as chicks.

ah, the so called barred rock method. I've never trusted it or tried to check it on these, and wasnt sure if it was just for certian breeds or not, or the color in general for all.

Then yes, on lavender it will be pretty hard to tell. You can see the spot, BUT you have to be looking for it. Being pale blue the white doesnt glow on them like it does on blacks

That's kind of what I was thinking, Boggy. (Glad you chimed in. I have been drooling over your lav. cuckoo birds.)

The autosexing trait is important to me. It's unfortunate it's not reliable with this variety, it is a gorgeous color.

Thanks, they are one of my favorite colors too, just a real clean , soft  look.

But yes, on the d'anver at least, I've never been able to see much of a difference, even in the  blacks. I have them in black, blue, dun, lavender, and a crele project.

Now on the rocks and even dominekers, I can see it pretty easy... just doesnt seem to be the case on a d'anver or phoenix. They are so tiny may be part of the problem, often times the spot is just 5-6 "hairs" on them... would be nice though.

Got some cooking now, when they hatch I'm going to just have to mark them and look real close and see if I can find a trick on them, or at least see just how reliable it may be.

Sexing hasnt ever been a major concern of mine with them, I just keep them all if I hatch some for myself, time will tell. Plus I 'd hate to cull one as a chick that may end up be a super stud of a show quality bird later on.

I've got them too- mine are sill babies. They're 3/4 Lav Ameraucana 1/4 clean-legged cuckoo marans( that laid an almost white egg).

Hoping to get a male to hatch soon- it appears that all of our females will look solid lav for a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerryse 

25% should be pure for lavender half of that should be lavender cuckoo.Due to the sex linked nature of cuckoo in this case 75% of your cockerels will be cuckoo.

Thank you! Ok, that is kind of what I was thinking. So the birds that hatch that are not lavender will be black? And am I correct that 50% will be split for it and 25% won't be, but I won't be able to tell them apart.

Now for the cuckoo gene. I am assuming about half the chicks will hatch cuckoo, are the other half split for cuckoo? Or does it work like lavender and some may not carry cuckoo at all?

cuckoo and barring genes dont work that way.

They are what they are, just like blue and dun... you'll never have a split one to any of those colors. If they have the gene it is visibly expressed.

If a male barred bird came from parents that were both barred, he is called double factored.

This only works for males though...

Now if you breed that male to ANYTHING else, 100% of the chicks will be barred.

These chicks are called single factored , meaning they only have 1 copy of barring.

Now if you use a single factored male to anything else un barred, this is when you start having the various ratios of barred verses non barred chicks

Not sure if yours is single factored or double factored?

Here's how you tell.

1) double factored males will be pale and wash out looking, this is especially noticable in the blacks. They will take on sort of a greyish color. Single factored males will still be nice and dark.

2) still not usre? Are there ANY feathers on him that are solid colored? Look at the tail and wings especially. If you see any feathers that are solid and not barred, he's a single factored male.

3) if all else fails, you'll know from the hatch when you breed him, doubles ALWAYS make 100% barred chicks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boggy Bottom Bantams 

cuckoo and barring genes dont work that way.

They are what they are, just like blue and dun... you'll never have a split one to any of those colors. If they have the gene it is visibly expressed.

If a male barred bird came from parents that were both barred, he is called double factored.

This only works for males though...

Now if you breed that male to ANYTHING else, 100% of the chicks will be barred.

 

These chicks are called single factored , meaning they only have 1 copy of barring.

 

Now if you use a single factored male to anything else un barred, this is when you start having the various ratios of barred verses non barred chicks

 

Not sure if yours is single factored or double factored?

 

Here's how you tell.

1) double factored males will be pale and wash out looking, this is especially noticable in the blacks. They will take on sort of a greyish color. Single factored males will still be nice and dark.

2) still not usre? Are there ANY feathers on him that are solid colored? Look at the tail and wings especially. If you see any feathers that are solid and not barred, he's a single factored male.

3) if all else fails, you'll know from the hatch when you breed him, doubles ALWAYS make 100% barred chicks.

Thank you! Yes, this helps tremendously. My male should only be single factored. His parents were a golden cuckoo marans hen x lavender ameraucana cock. I plan to breed him to my black split for lavender hens to try and achieve these beautiful lavender cuckoo EE's. So if he is single factored, and the hen is not carrying cuckoo/barring, what percentage of the chicks would be cuckoo?