Barnyard Mix Genetics

[tryals15]

We had a broody hen that we couldn't break, so we finally gave in and let her have her clutch. The eggs she hatched were Barred Rock over Sapphire Gem.

I understand a barred roo will pass on one set of barring, and I seem to have concluded that Sapphire Gems are Blue Rocks over Barred Rocks. I'm wondering what to expect from the chicks. Every single Chick was born with yellow bellies, and black backs. They ALL had a white spot on their head. They're almost 4 weeks now and they're all barring out. Are they ALL male? That's what I'm feeling like my research indicates, but I'm new to this and the probability of getting 6/6 males is, well, low.

Thanks in advance!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

If the rooster was barred, all chicks inherit barring, even females. A sex link cross occurs only when the mother is barred.

 

[poultryprofessor]

This always seems to trip people up. Remember, the male chicken is homozygous for sex chromosomes (so, ZZ instead of the XY in mammals). The female chicken is heterozygous (ZW). The barring gene happens to be linked to the Z chromosome.

A Solid rooster (solid Z, solid Z) x Barred (Barred Z, W) hen produces sex-link cross chicks (barred males, solid females). The male chicks get a solid Z from the rooster and a barred Z from the hen - the barred gene makes them barred. The female chicks get a solid Z from the rooster and the W from the hen - no barred gene, so they are solid. This works because the hen has one copy of the barring gene (on the Z chromosome) and the rooster has none.

A Barred rooster x solid hen produces is NOT a sex-link cross. Assuming the rooster is homozgyous for barring, all of your chicks will be barred. If the rooster is heterozygous (say, like one of the males from the previous cross), he will have a solid Z and a barred Z. This will give you a mix of solid and barred chicks, but it will not be sex-dependent.

 

[tryals15]

Thank you both for the replies! I'm sorry I ghosted you; I got distracted! The genetics make sense. It's been interesting watching them grow up. Generally they all look similar, but they're all a bit different... lol

 

[Ruthster55]

I see 2 cockerels (the lighter ones).

There could be more, but that’s a wait-and-see.

 

[tryals15]

I see 2 cockerels (the lighter ones).

There could be more, but that’s a wait-and-see.

What are you basing that on?