Auto sexing, maylay

[Tammylr]

Ok, I'm looking really hard at the maylay, but it doesn't lay much and was wondering if by crossing a barring breed (barred rock) and the maylay, I could get something big that lays a good number of eggs, and is auto sexed?

1. Challenges of breeding.
2. What to cull
3. What I would get with a red maylay crossed to a black barred rock. Splotches of red and black barred?
5. I want to keep that kind of prehistoric look too, cute dinosaur bird!

 

[Tammylr]

So, if I wanted to skip the challenge of red and black mixing I could go with a rhodebar times red maylay, or I could do barred rock times a black maylay. First generation could tell at hatch what they are. Trick is going into subsequent generations. I love the maylay look but want to breed for a less aggressive bird with the maylay look that lays pretty well and is tasty.

 

[Makomd]

1. Challenges of breeding. To create an autosexing bird you are likely looking at 4-6 breedings.

2. What to cull. Using barred bird- you will cull anything without a white headspot as chicks

3. What I would get with a red maylay crossed to a black barred rock. Splotches of red and black barred? you will have sex links first generation. You would take the barred male with the best type and backcross to a red maylay hen. Then cross the barred offspring that resemble the type you are looking for. The following cross should provide you with some double barred males (lighter at hatch) along with single barred males and hens that will look the same (white head spot at hatch but darker than the double barred males). Double barred males to single barred females should provide you the autosexing you desire. Type should become much better though if you use this double barred male with a backcross to a pure red malay hen, working through single barred to single barred matings again.

The splotching can be worked out as well through selective breeding. I am not very familiar with Malays so I do not know if they carry any additional red enhancers or not, but you are looking for a red bird that is barred anyway so red enhancers should not be an issue.

5. I want to keep that kind of prehistoric look too, cute dinosaur bird!

Keep in mind you will also have to work with the walnut comb.

Good Luck

 

[Winterwolfbane]

This maybe helpful. Barred sex linking goes like this. Note: Barring is usually silver based, So where it says "carries gold", the bird is dominate silver also (sex-linked).

Barred male to colored female= All barred offspring if the male used has two copies of the barring gene. With a red female, males will also carry red/gold.

Red male with a Barred female= sex-linked babies. Males are barred and carry red, females non-barred, can sex at hatch because males will have a white patch on the head, females won't.

Sex-linked barred male that carries red, to red females= 50% red males, 50% sex linked barred (carries red), 50% barred females, 50% non barred females.

Sex-linked male that carries gold to barred females= 50% purely barred males (as in two copies of the barring gene), 50% barred sex-linked males (one copy of the barring gene and carry red), 50% barred females and 50% non barred females.

If you want pure barring and it to breed true, males need to have two copies of the barring gene. When they have two copies it will make them lighter in their barring then the females and males with only one copy of the gene. Because having two copies makes the white band in the feather wider and the black (or red) bands thinner. Males with only one copy of the gene. The bands of black (or red) and white are the same size, making them look darker in color.

Can auto sex at hatch once breeding true. Males have bigger white patches on their heads. More side to side then the females. Which are smaller and sometimes more front to back. Males also sometimes have a lighter cast to the baby down, More silverfish or brownish. Females are usually black. Males also will have lighter colored toes and legs. Females have usually dark toes and shanks.
With this breeding there is a possibly of some form of Creole. Red barring. Feather color genes are mostly universal no matter the breed.

Now that I've probably confused you. LOL! Just remember breed birds that show the traits you want most together and follow those genes. I keep notes and take photos one generation to the next. It really helps in the decision process of what to breed to what.

 

[Tammylr]

1. Challenges of breeding. To create an autosexing bird you are likely looking at 4-6 breedings.


2. What to cull. Using barred bird- you will cull anything without a white headspot as chicks


3. What I would get with a red maylay crossed to a black barred rock. Splotches of red and black barred? you will have sex links first generation.  You would take the barred male with the best type and backcross to a red maylay hen. Then cross the barred offspring that resemble the type you are looking for.  The following cross should provide you with some double barred males (lighter at hatch) along with single barred males and hens that will look the same (white head spot at hatch but darker than the double barred males).  Double barred males to single barred females should provide you the autosexing you desire.  Type should become much better though if you use this double barred male with a backcross to a pure red malay hen, working through single barred to single barred matings again.

The splotching can be worked out as well through selective breeding.  I am not very familiar with Malays so I do not know if they carry any additional red enhancers or not, but you are looking for a red bird that is barred anyway so red enhancers should not be an issue.


5. I want to keep that kind of prehistoric look too, cute dinosaur bird!


Keep in mind you will also have to work with the walnut comb. 

Good Luck

  This maybe helpful.  Barred sex linking goes like this.  Note: Barring is usually silver based,  So where it says "carries gold", the bird is dominate silver also (sex-linked).

  Barred male to colored female= All barred offspring if the male used has two copies of the barring gene.   With a red female, males will also carry red/gold.

  Red male with a Barred female= sex-linked babies.  Males are barred and carry red, females non-barred, can sex at hatch because males will have a white patch on the head, females won't.

  Sex-linked barred male that carries red, to red females= 50% red males, 50% sex linked barred (carries red), 50% barred females, 50% non barred females.

  Sex-linked male that carries gold to barred females= 50% purely barred males (as in two copies of the barring gene), 50% barred sex-linked males (one copy of the barring gene and carry red), 50% barred females and 50% non barred females.

  If you want pure barring and it to breed true, males need to have two copies of the barring gene.  When they have two copies it will make them lighter in their barring then the females and males with only one copy of the gene.  Because having two copies makes the white band in the feather wider and the black (or red) bands thinner. Males with only one copy of the gene.  The bands of black (or red) and white are the same size, making them look darker in color.

   Can auto sex at hatch once breeding true.  Males have bigger white patches on their heads.  More side to side then the females.  Which are smaller and sometimes more front to back.  Males also sometimes have a lighter cast to the baby down,  More silverfish or brownish.  Females are usually black.  Males also will have lighter colored toes and legs. Females have usually dark toes and shanks.
  With this breeding there is a possibly of some form of Creole.   Red barring.  Feather color genes are mostly universal no matter the breed.

Now that I've  probably confused you.  LOL!  Just remember breed birds that show the traits you want most together and follow those genes.  I keep notes and take photos one generation to the next.  It really helps in the decision process of what to breed to what.

Thanks for both of your replies. They are really helpful.