Sex-Linked question

[HollyParks]

So I just learned that black skin is sex linked, but is that only for fully black-skinned chickens or does that include just shank color?

I ask because I have a Silked EE rooster and non-silky hens. Their offspring turned out to be hens with their father’s black skin from head all the way to their extra toes.

One of the chicks I bought from the store turned out to be an EE rooster (picture included). He started crowing today at 7 weeks old. So if I end up keeping him with my hens, will his offspring be sex-linked?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

No. The daughters only have one dark gene, so half the offspring of both sizes will have it and half won't

 

[Amer]

Actually the id+ gene (dermal melanin) (which causes slate and willow shanks and enables dark skin) is sexlinked.
The fibromelanism gene is dominant but it needs the id+ gene to express.
What hens are you putting the ee cockerel with? Do they have light shanks?

 

[HollyParks]

Actually the id+ gene (dermal melanin) (which causes slate and willow shanks and enables dark skin) is sexlinked.
The fibromelanism gene is dominant but it needs the id+ gene to express.
What hens are you putting the ee cockerel with? Do they have light shanks?

Hey there! I believe you helped me with my last post.

My hens are Delawares, Welsummer, leghorns, golden cuckoo maran, blue cuckoo maran, Silked EE, black Australorp, and the three chicks from my last hatch (all have the dark skin gene from silky dad).

 

[Amer]

Delawares, Welsummer, leghorns, golden cuckoo maran, blue cuckoo maran, these would all produce sexlinked chicks since the father has two copies of the id+ gene.
Male chicks would have light shanks and females would have dark. I don't know if the difference will be visible at hatch. (Also golden and blue cuckoo cross males would have a head spot.)
The other hens will not produce sexlinked chicks.

 

[HollyParks]

Delawares, Welsummer, leghorns, golden cuckoo maran, blue cuckoo maran, these would all produce sexlinked chicks since the father has two copies of the id+ gene.
Male chicks would have light shanks and females would have dark. I don't know if the difference will be visible at hatch. (Also golden and blue cuckoo cross males would have a head spot.)
The other hens will not produce sexlinked chicks.

Awesome, thank you!

 

[HollyParks]

Delawares, Welsummer, leghorns, golden cuckoo maran, blue cuckoo maran, these would all produce sexlinked chicks since the father has two copies of the id+ gene.
Male chicks would have light shanks and females would have dark. I don't know if the difference will be visible at hatch. (Also golden and blue cuckoo cross males would have a head spot.)
The other hens will not produce sexlinked chicks.

I hate to bring up an old thread, but I have a few chicks that are a bit confusing. I have three Blue Cucko Marans (Blue CM mom, Silkie/EE dad) that all have black skin. One has a white head spot and has black feathers, one has black feathers and no head spot, and another is more grayish with no head spot. Would the one with a head spot be male? The dark leg shanks are throwing me off.
I also have a Delaware chick (same dad and from a Delaware mom) that is white and black with dark skin. I first thought pullet but maybe the coloring is male?
The Welsummers all have the female chipmunk pattern but only one of the four has black skin. My thought was one female the rest are male?

 

[Amer]

Marans (Blue CM mom, Silkie/EE dad) that all have black skin. One has a white head spot and has black feathers, one has black feathers and no head spot, and another is more grayish with no head spot. Would the one with a head spot be male?

You had me really confused by calling these mixed chicks the breed of their mother.
I’m not sure if blue cm means blue cuckoo Marans or blue copper Marans but based on the context I’m guessing you mean blue cuckoo.
The dark shank color color is only skin deep, it is epidermal melanin, your blue cuckoo Marans genetically have white shanks rather than slate (id+) shanks. However, because the epidermal melanin is so dark, it is possible for a male chick to also have dark shanks.
The reason why barred Plymouth Rock female chicks have dark shanks while males don’t is because they typically don’t have epidermal melanin when they grow up.
The barred chick should be male and the unbarred should be female.
The white chick with black stripes looks rad. Usually a female is more likely to have clear chick down like that but it is waaaay too early to tell and you will have to wait and see.

 

[HollyParks]

You had me really confused by calling these mixed chicks the breed of their mother.
I’m not sure if blue cm means blue cuckoo Marans or blue copper Marans but based on the context I’m guessing you mean blue cuckoo.
The dark shank color color is only skin deep, it is epidermal melanin, your blue cuckoo Marans genetically have white shanks rather than slate (id+) shanks. However, because the epidermal melanin is so dark, it is possible for a male chick to also have dark shanks.
The reason why barred Plymouth Rock female chicks have dark shanks while males don’t is because they typically don’t have epidermal melanin when they grow up.
The barred chick should be male and the unbarred should be female.
The white chick with black stripes looks rad. Usually a female is more likely to have clear chick down like that but it is waaaay too early to tell and you will have to wait and see.

Sorry about the confusion! It seemed like an easier way to explain what mixes they were. I only have one type of rooster with my hens.

It’s my first time hatching the Blue Cuckoo Maran crossed with the Silked EE. All three look different but only one has a head spot.

The Delaware crossed with Silked EE chick is very cute with its black and white coloring. It’s sibling that hatched last fall had similar markings but was more yellow and less grey. I’m attaching a picture of the sibling from last Fall. She’s on the top left. She grew up to have beautiful buff orange coloring. She’s actually my sweetest hen.

The Welsummer crossed with Silked EE chicks all have the chipmunk striping, but only one has the black skin. I can’t believe how orange the shanks are on those ones. I had assumed three males and one female, but I intend on keeping them awhile longer to find out for sure.