Sex- linked Information

Agreed, but there was a reference in one of the responses to "black sex links" (that does need EB), and generally when people are looking to make sex links with barred hens, they are expecting EB chicks with male head spots. Wild-type can work, in fact that is the basis for the CCL's (and other *bars) auto-sexing, but I would not count on a non-EB male creating sex-linked chicks from a CCL hen. It might work, but I got the impression they were looking for a "sure bet", in which case EB is highly recommended, and BCM's provide that.

I had some "blue sex links" last spring (splash roo over BR hens) and I was fairly sure I knew the sex, but the lighter down made it harder to be sure, and we all want to be sure, that's sort of the whole point. I want my color-based sexing to be 100% and very obvious.
I'm interested in this. I have a splash Ameraucana male I'm putting over barred Holland hens in the spring, for blue egg laying blue sex links. I've hatched out some chicks from that male over barred Rock hens and was able to sex them fairly well...



I also have a single CCL pullet and two Rhodebar pullets I'm thinking of leaving in the same pen with the splash. Do you think either of their chicks will be sexable at hatch, or is the down color going to muddy the waters? I'm not as happy with the CCL as I'd thought I'd be, but could really see myself coming to like these Rhodebars and could handle having a pen of them
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I am doing the same, but with a blue Am roo over Barred Hollands to give me both black and blue, blue egg laying sex links. Mostly because I think the blue roos are prettier than splash.

The splash roo to the *bar hens will produce blue sex links also, because splash is really extended black with homozygous blue. EB is dominant over wild-type chick down, which both CCL's and RB's should have to get good autosexing. All this is assuming the genotype of all the birds are "as expected". There is always the chance of some stray genes popping up and messing with the way the chicks look, but you should get all blue sex links from that pen, with the blue and white eggs producing blue egg layers and the brown eggs producing light green egg layers.
 
Oops I forgot to add the blue CM was out crossed with an Ameracauna so was het for the blue egg colour. Sorry my bad :)


That changes things. Details! Details! You really made my post a lot longer with that little bit of information about the Ameraucana.

Anyway your Easter Egger rooster is split for the blue egg gene assuming that was a true Ameraucana pure for the blue egg gene. That means he will randomly give one blue egg gene or one not-blue egg gene to his progeny. So in theory half of his pullets will lay eggs based blue. As you probably know green is just base blue plus brown.

Since he is a rooster and doesn’t lay eggs, you don’t know what color his genetic make-up will contribute to the mix. A Marans should lay really dark eggs, but the eggs are not always as dark as they should be. That’s why they have a scale to measure the shade of Marans eggs. Since there are so many different genes that contribute to the brown coloring they are not always as pure as you might expect. Still, you would expect him to have inherited some pretty dark genetics from the Marans parent.

Not so at all from a true Ameraucana. They lay blue eggs so they are not going to contribute much at all to a brown shade. This is chicken genetics so it gets complicated even trying to describe it. There is a gene that cancels out some brown, so it is possible a true Ameraucana could have a gene that contributes to brown but if they have that other gene it gets canceled out. It’s possible, but it is pretty safe to say the Ameraucana contributed genetics that would make for white eggs if the blue egg gene were absent.

So your EE rooster has the genetics that are split for brown and white eggs, ignoring the blue shell gene. Half the gene pair says brown and probably dark brown. Half the gene pair says white. The genes from that gene pair will randomly be passed down to the offspring. You are going to have a really mixed up genetic cocktail passed down to his offspring, each one could be really different, anything from no brown added to a really dark brown added. Most will be somewhere in between.

Let me complicate it a little more. You might want to grab a Tylenol. Not all RIR hen lay eggs the same shade. They often have a mix of brown egg genetics too. You’d think that you would at least be consistent on what you get from her, but no. It’s quite possible she could be split for some of those brown color contributors. If they are not homo at that gene pair it is just random which gets passed down.

To make it worse for both the EE and the RIR, some genes are dominant and some are recessive. If some of the brown egg color in the parents or grandparents is coming from recessive genes that have paired up, you would lose that effect in future generations if they don’t happen to pair up.

Bottom line is that you don’t know what you will get from your mix. If you hatch a bunch of pullets from that mix you should get a real rainbow in your egg basket. Odds are a lot of them will be fairly dark brown or dark green, but don’t be shocked to get some that are almost white or almost blue.

For what its’ worth, I mixed Ameraucana in my flock of brown egg layers. In the first generation I got some eggs that were almost blue and some that were really dark green. In the second generation I got some similar light or dark blue/green and also got some of various shades of brown, some dark, and some that are almost white. I guess you would call them tinted. It makes for an interesting egg basket but it is really inconsistent.
 
 

Agreed, but there was a reference in one of the responses to "black sex links" (that does need EB), and generally when people are looking to make sex links with barred hens, they are expecting EB chicks with male head spots. Wild-type can work, in fact that is the basis for the CCL's (and other *bars) auto-sexing, but I would not count on a non-EB male creating sex-linked chicks from a CCL hen. It might work, but I got the impression they were looking for a "sure bet", in which case EB is highly recommended, and BCM's provide that.


A slight technical correction. BCM's are based on Birchen, not Extended Black. I have not done any of those crosses myself but from what I understand Birchen works pretty well for black sex links. I don't know how they would work with legbars.
 
@Ridgerunner wow thank you for such a awesome answer layed out like that. I am new to chicken genetics currently halfway thru Sigrid Von Dorts Genetics Chicken Colours. I have hatched two different sets and the type I seem to be selecting for is blue with nice edging on chest e+? Its not quite lacing but its there. Then I have red around the hackle but red could mean copper. Very dark eyes and dark feet like Sire. No sexlinking with that match up it was mostly to try and get blue egg from blue hen lol My RIR her eggs are beautiful which is why I selected her, a light light brown maybe beige color. I did forecast dark green maybe muddy even. The roo parents, Mom had darkest of the dark (why I selected her) and the Ameracauna was blue and was purebred. Its more or less me practicing what I am learning and trying to predict what I am doing. I fell pretty good after reading your answer friend so thank you kindly! Ill post a pic of her and get some feedback
 
I am doing the same, but with a blue Am roo over Barred Hollands to give me both black and blue, blue egg laying sex links. Mostly because I think the blue roos are prettier than splash.

The splash roo to the *bar hens will produce blue sex links also, because splash is really extended black with homozygous blue. EB is dominant over wild-type chick down, which both CCL's and RB's should have to get good autosexing. All this is assuming the genotype of all the birds are "as expected". There is always the chance of some stray genes popping up and messing with the way the chicks look, but you should get all blue sex links from that pen, with the blue and white eggs producing blue egg layers and the brown eggs producing light green egg layers.
Great minds think alike
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I don't care what the roos look like, cause they're just going in the freezer, and I don't care for all black birds, so getting all blue is good for me.
I just wonder how much of the red is going to come through on the Rhodebar's chicks. I was thinking a red and blue bird would be pretty, and everyone around here seems to love green eggs.
 
Ridgerunner, your last paragraph, describing your Ameraucana roo x brown egg layers describes my last generation. I hatched eggs from EE x PBR and RIR. The females from the RIR cross went to other flocks, but I'm told that they lay a nice green egg. I kept BSL from that one rooster. They have a nice tight pea comb, and lay a dark green or green/blue egg. I also kept an EE roo from the previously mentioned EE roo x an EE hen from that flock. So, my EE roo is directly descended from the Roo who produced my BSL who lay such pretty eggs. What am I likely to see in my next generation with this roo over the BSL (siblings), as well as him over my standard brown egg layers. (regarding egg color only) I know you don't have a crystal ball, but, any idea what the statistical outcomes will look like??
 
A slight technical correction. BCM's are based on Birchen, not Extended Black. I have not done any of those crosses myself but from what I understand Birchen works pretty well for black sex links. I don't know how they would work with legbars.
is that Gold Birchen s+ ER? does that make sense? Also would my Blue Cop Marans be gold birchen or silver? I assume s+
 

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