55 flowery hen 'recipe'?

[Aziara]

55 flowery hens are gorgeous, but I really don't like the leghorn personality, or the fact that they are unlikely to set. So I would like to recreate the sex-linked color with other breeds.
I found some info on other threads about their genetics:

1. Sex-linked Barring (B);
2. Sex-linked Silver (S);
3. Sex-linked Fast-feathering (k+).

and:

Silver 55 male- B/B, S/S, k+/k+, e+/e+, mo/mo
Silver 55 female- B/-, S/-, k+/-, e+/e+, mo/mo
Gold 55 male- B/B, s+/s+, k+/k+, e+/e+, mo/mo
Gold 55 female- B/-, s+/-, k+/-, e+/e+, mo/mo

What other breeds have these traits? I'm hoping to create a Speckled Sussex based sex-linked flowery-type breed. A Flowery Sussex, if you will.
Also, am I correct in assuming that the color is simply the same autosex coloration as a legbar + the mottling gene?
My end goal is a low-maintenance dual purpose that is a good forager and good setter, with a calm and friendly disposition.

 

[nicalandia]

55 flowery hens are gorgeous, but I really don't like the leghorn personality, or the fact that they are unlikely to set. So I would like to recreate the sex-linked color with other breeds.
I found some info on other threads about their genetics:

and:

What other breeds have these traits? I'm hoping to create a Speckled Sussex based sex-linked flowery-type breed. A Flowery Sussex, if you will.
Also, am I correct in assuming that the color is simply the same autosex coloration as a legbar + the mottling gene?
My end goal is a low-maintenance dual purpose that is a good forager and good setter, with a calm and friendly disposition.

Correct, the good news is that you already have recessive mottling and the e+ wiltype e allele found on sex linked breeds like Rhodebars, Legbars, all you need is to source the sex linked barring gene and to be honest you can source it from any breed, Barred rock would be my best bet, the f1s will be mostly black barred and with genetic make up E/e+ S/s+ Mo+/mo B/b+, take the best male and cross it back to your Speckled Sussex and look look for e+/e+ mo/mo B/ s+/ females

 

[nicalandia]

I'm hoping to create a Speckled Sussex based sex-linked flowery-type breed. A Flowery Sussex, if you will.

Going with the OP statement what he/she is basically wanting is a Flowery type speckled sussex, and as I have mentioned earlier Speckled Sussex already have the wild type e+ e allele and the recessive mottling gene(e+, mo), other genes like Columbian, Mahogany and sex linked gold(Co, Mh, s+) will not affect the autosexing trait, Rhodebars are proof of that, so all that is required is the sex linked barring gene.

Genetic make up of 55 Flowery pattern is e+/e+, mo/mo, s+/s+ (gold based) B/B(B/- for females)

Genetic Make up for the Speckled pattern, e+/e+ mo/mo s+/s+ b+/b+(b+/- for females) Co/Co, Mh/Mh.

So if you take a look at both genotypes, Speckled Sussex is only missing the sex linked barring gene, and that is why I pointed out that the source of the sex linked barring gene is really not that crucial, but if she has access to dual purpose autosexing breeds like Bielefelder, Rhodebars that would help greatly, specially good quality Rhodebars.


This is a Rhodebar male from my friend Michael, double barred, Mahogany Columbian restricted

 

[The Moonshiner]

You are correct that they are like legbars plus mottling minus cream.
Fast feathering is irrelevant.
As for sex linked silver. GFF sells mostly gold based but also some silver based.
Speckled sussex has mahogany and columbian that you would need to breed out and you would have to breed in barring.

As for legbars and rhodebars they have barring but not mottling.
If you don't like leghorns you should stay away from legbars.
As for dual purpose and broody. I have 55s, rhodebars, barred rocks and have had legbars. None of those breeds have been broody for me.
You will not get what you need by simply breeding speckled sussex to barred anything and then back to the sussex.
And of course rhodebars and legbars are barred so breeding them to barred rocks isn't getting you anywheres.
All you need is wild type e+, barring and mottling. And of course dual purpose and broody.
I'd have to think about it when I have more time and try to think of a game plan of what I would use.
I think you're well informed and know what you need but can tell you from experience when you bring in breeds with columbian, mahogany etc it isn't just an easy cross then back breed.
You can probably get there in two maybe three generations if you want to play the odds and hatch a few hundred chicks.

 

[nicalandia]

Not to burst your bubble, but just because a bird has Sussex in it, doesn't make it as Sussex.

I am not an SOP type of guy but I would say that the result of a well planed breeding strategy that ends up with birds that are at least 7/8 Sussex would be very much a Sussex in Type and form, of course if the starting stock was very good to begin with

The OP was just looking to create the 55 pattern on a different type bird then a leghorn type. The speckled sussex came up then their idea morphed to hopes of creating a new variety of sussex. There's nothing wrong with that dream.

I very much agree with The Moonshiner here, we can all dream about beautiful birds hatched by our own resolution to succeed.

 

[EggWalrus]

You're above my head with that Jr.

 

[nicalandia]

How to introduce the sex linked barring gene without affecting the Sussex type will be required

Here is my example using a Rhodebar.

This cross would yield Rhodebar looking females(red columbian barred) and Single barred Rhodebar looking males, both progeny will have recessive mottling hidden, you can take the best looking males and cross them back to Speckled Sussex, only about 25% of the total progeny will be single barred and mottled, 25% will be mottled, 25% will be single barred and 25% Red Columbian so hatching at least 100 will be advised

You can use the chicken calculator and input the known genetics
http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yes you're correct.
Probably have zero luck finding welbars but they would be a great option.
Wellsummer have mahogany so look at them compared to brown leghorn and you can see what mahogany brings into that mix.

 

[nicalandia]

Wait wait wait... You're telling me that a barred mottled columbian would be autosexed??

I've been trying to get that point across since I started posting on this thread, Speckled Sussex has all of the genes required for your goal, except sex linked barring, introducing the sex linked barring gene from an Autosexing breed would be the best approach since they have e+ and B/B already, using a Rooster over your Speckled Sussex hens would be best.


Single barred males will be much darker than double barred males,

Here is a F1 from a Rhodebar x RIR

Double barred Rhodebar

 

[The Moonshiner]

Your passion for the Sussex has you all wound up over this thread huh?
The OP was just looking to create the 55 pattern on a different type bird then a leghorn type. The speckled sussex came up then their idea morphed to hopes of creating a new variety of sussex.
All that about the importance of a sussex looking like a sussex and how important that is isn't anything unique to the sussex. Its the same for any breed.
By the end of this thread the OP was hoping to produce the pattern then set the type. Its not their intention to make a half @ssed sussex that has a cool new pattern then run around passing it off as a sussex when it was clearly not even close.
They just thought it would be cool to make a new variety and have it bred to the standard and then accepted as a new variety.
There's nothing wrong with that dream.