Accidentally breeding a sex-linked chicken?

[hypnozze]

Hello everyone!

I have a flock of Speckled Sussex chickens and have been hatching their offspring since this spring and I was wondering if it was possible to create a sex-linked offspring from them?

I am somewhat familiar with how sex-lined chicks are achieved in hybrids but I do not know is this normal for my birds. I do not really know how sex-linked genes were achieved for certain breeds of chickens (it would be nice if someone could name good books on poultry genetics).

The newly hatched chicks are in two distinct shades - the pullets are darker yellow and the cockerels are light yellow. It's quite noticeable, however I do not have any photos on hand at the moment.

I did not notice this at first because I was selling the chicks at age 1-2-3 weeks but the ones that I have left for raising myself - all have this distinct appearance.
However, even the smaller chicks showed with their behavior who they were - the lighter ones acted like boys - fought and pounced and were the first to investigate. The darker girls always stayed away. Also - once the 4-5 week feathering is in, the cockerels are whiter on the front and the pullets are darker all around.
Is it possible? If it is then I will try to set up a separate enclosure for boys and girls to be absolutely sure of this.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I am a little confused as the feather description doesn't match the red based, white blotching of Speckled Sussex...are you perhaps dealing with Light Sussex bred to Speckled Sussex?

Speckled Sussex, as a pure breed, are not autosexing. Both sexes have the same chipmunk chick down, with variations in coloring spread evenly in both genders. By 4 to 6 weeks, there is the beginning of distinction in sexing coloring with the males getting larger splotches of white than females.

What you are explaining, if you are using the same flock, appears to be derivatives from either non-pure stock or perhaps, as stated, Sussex but not speckled.

It is possible to create a red sex link with a silver based (LS) hen over a red based (SS) rooster. The boys will be lighter colored (yellow) while the girls will be a red fawn or gold.

Did you possibly use a SS rooster over Light Sussex (silver based) hen? THAT would produce sex links as the silver based hen would produce yellow males and red fawn or gold females.

It may be possible that you have some silver mixed in with your SS genetics that you stumbled onto....but breed enough it wouldn't hold true. Sex linking would only be for this first generation.

I'll link a Speckled Sussex forum that holds some genetic information on sex linking Sussex: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...and-a-light-sussex-look-like-together.968529/

The simple basics:
https://articles.extension.org/page...backyard-flocks:-an-introduction#.Vg4Yy3pViko

The best introduction to genetics from egg color to feather coloring is as follows:
https://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/genetics-mini-series/
https://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/gms7-plumage-pigments/

More in depth:
http://kippenjungle.nl/basisEN.htm

And play with their genetics calculator:
https://www.breedbook.org/?action=geneticscalculator&tab=CHICKEN

An old standby (for free online):
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.087299559&view=1up&seq=5

And finally an old BYC discussion forum listing a bunch of books (scroll down to post #4)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/books-and-siites-on-poultry-genetics.940222/

Happy genetics
LofMc

 

[hypnozze]

I am a little confused as the feather description doesn't match the red based, white blotching of Speckled Sussex...are you perhaps dealing with Light Sussex bred to Speckled Sussex?

Wow! Thank You for Your reply! I will look into all Your presented links. Thanks a lot
I only have Speckled Sussex birds, no Light Sussex so I am guessing the SS that I purchased may not be as "clean" as I have hoped it would be