Delaware x Barred Rock Chicks--Indy, Rex and Ira's Progress Thread

[speckledhen]

Chick hatched yesterday out of my Delaware rooster over BR hen, both parents are heritage types, not hatchery, so the genetics aren't murky, lol. This is the first Del X with a BR hen hatched here because Isaac doesn't like the BR girls for some weird reason. My Del X's are usually white birds, looking like dear old dad, whether male or female.
If this was a pure BR, I'd call pullet on this one--tiny head spot, very black down, etc, however, being 1/2 Delaware, can this chick be sexed? I get confused since a Del is a white bird, silver based, with barring. White always confuses me, lol. Barred genetics, I get, but this cross, well, can we sex this chick?

 

[Fred's Hens]

I'd never let that chick leave the property, if it were mine. Cute as a button!!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Haha, he/she will probably stay, no matter the sex. Isaac is the most laid back, friendly rooster and his kids are usually just as easygoing. This kid may be my up and coming flock leader for the main group, who knows?

 

[catdaddyfro]

Yes it a male, sex linkable by the head spot same as crossing anything other than a (dominant) white male over barred hen. Remember a Delaware is a barred bird just diluted by columbian(diluted barred/gradient barring) to a silver looking. The barring is still there its just hard to see. You think that is tough one to figure you ought to see some of the color combos I have from a real RIR male x a real BR hen= black sex-links for sure but not like the ones you see produced by the multi-thousands we're normally used to seeing. I cant wait till they are more feathered in and older they sure are different and I imagine they will be a bit heavier too than those 4.5/5lb. leghorny little production type sex-links. These gals should hit the scales at around 8-9lbs maybe more, the males I expect easily 11-12 pounders as they are a hybrid. I know the F1Del projects I got from Kathyinmo are bigger than the BR parent stock due to hybridization factors.

Jeff

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Jeff. I was thinking it was male at first, like any other sex linked male, but then, I thought, well, a Del also has barring, so that was the confusing factor for me-of course, with a regular BR male over any hen, you get all barred chicks and all with head spots, not just the males. I'm fine with either sex because my Isaac is aging now and I'll need at least two roosters in the main free ranging flock to take over for him when he's gone (I dread that thought since he's a wonderful rooster, but I know it's coming since he's over 4 yrs old).

This chick's mother is Ida, my humongous and largest Stukel BR hen.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Thank you, Jeff. I was thinking it was male at first, like any other sex linked male, but then, I thought, well, a Del also has barring, so that was the confusing factor for me-of course, with a regular BR male over any hen, you get all barred chicks and all with head spots, not just the males. I'm fine with either sex because my Isaac is aging now and I'll need at least two roosters in the main free ranging flock to take over for him when he's gone (I dread that thought since he's a wonderful rooster, but I know it's coming since he's over 4 yrs old).

This chick's mother is Ida, my humongous and largest Stukel BR hen.

Yes and generally a Delaware patterned male over most anything(color/pattern) will produce Del patterned/colored offspring, both sexes, with the exception of over black which is what a barred bird is black with white(silver)barring/this too makes the head spots. So, in your case the head spot is passed on to the male offspring by the hen therefore making this the sex-linking trait.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Here is a picture of a hybrid barred rooster he is the result of a WRxBR this makes for a black sex-linkable cross and I would expect your cross to look somewhat similar to him as you should have silver leakage in the areas where one would normally see red/gold leakage in a black sex-link male from a gold over silver w/barring cross. Example of RIR/NHxBR= BSL popular cross. like this one:

 

[speckledhen]

Works for me! Thanks, Jeff. Isaac has been an exemplary flock rooster, easygoing, alert and quick to put down hen squabbles. I would love for a son of his to pick up the mantle, especially out of one of my beautiful heritage Rocks. Not really interested in breeding Delawares any longer and in this flock, temperament is paramount. The only exception I've ever made in allowing an aggressive bird to stay here in the main flock is my half blind Ameraucana X hen, Tiny, who has obvious Sumatra heritage somewhere back in her lines. She is spoiled and aggressive when she doesn't get what she wants. She's almost had her scrawny neck snapped several times when she's flogged one of us, and it still may happen one day

 

[catdaddyfro]

Works for me! Thanks, Jeff. Isaac has been an exemplary flock rooster, easygoing, alert and quick to put down hen squabbles. I would love for a son of his to pick up the mantle, especially out of one of my beautiful heritage Rocks. Not really interested in breeding Delawares any longer and in this flock, temperament is paramount. The only exception I've ever made in allowing an aggressive bird to stay here in the main flock is my half blind Ameraucana X hen, Tiny, who has obvious Sumatra heritage somewhere back in her lines. She is spoiled and aggressive when she doesn't get what she wants. She's almost had her scrawny neck snapped several times when she's flogged one of us, and it still may happen one day

COOL keep us updated on the progressions, I always love to see the results of such interesting crossings. This is one of my main reasons for having and and aquiring so many of my now different and some may say a(plethora) of "H" type breeds/varieties. I love mixing things up and seeing what results even if some others may think it blasphemy to do so LOL hey they're my chickens I can do with as I please right. LOL I've already experimented for years with sub-par hatchery stock now its time to play with the real deals.

Jeff

 

[speckledhen]

COOL keep us updated on the progressions, I always love to see the results of such interesting crossings. This is one of my main reasons for having and and aquiring so many of my now different and some may say a(plethora) of "H" type breeds/varieties. I love mixing things up and seeing what results even if some others may think it blasphemy to do so LOL hey they're my chickens I can do with as I please right. LOL I've already experimented for years with sub-par hatchery stock now its time to play with the real deals.

Jeff

You bet you can! Will keep you posted on this little one's progress.