Barring Question

[GirlsMommy18]

Do Barred cochins follow color barring for genders? Dark=pullet, more white= cockerel?

I have 2 chicks; a barred cochin father on a partridge cochin hen that is very dark with very little barring. I also have anther chick with the same father but a barred rock mother who is also very dark. Curious if that could indicate their genders. So far very little comb & wattles at 4 weeks.

No, the barred rock mix was not intentional. I didn't know he slipped in with the big girls. I was trying to breed a black sex link, but instead got fluffy feet.... Oops!

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Pictures are helpful in cases like these. It's entirely possible that they are all pullets, but in all honesty it is difficult to accurately help without pictures.

As far as the first pairing goes they will all be dark in the barred rooster over the partridge hens since they'll only have one barring gene.

The second chick it is possible that it is female since both parents are barred.

 

[GirlsMommy18]

Ok. I figured it was likely more complicated than that. Just curious how that worked, especially my rooster was very light by comparison at that age. Both are 4 weeks old.

Cheep- Pure Cochin: Partridge hen, Barred roo

Olive- Barred Rock hen, Barred Cochin roo

Father at 6 weeks for reference (left)

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Hmm, I can’t accurately tell either at this point! Those wattles make me curious since they’re fairly visible and red for being 4 weeks old. The barred parents chick should technically be a pullet.

Can you post them again in a couple weeks?

 

[GirlsMommy18]

I figured it was way too early, but thought I'd try. With the barred parents chick, I'm assuming inheriting the genes from both it should have gotten a double barring like it's father? Or is there a possibility of a single barred rooster from both barred parents? I'm really trying to figure out the genetic implications of breeding barred chickens, but...

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

I’m not well versed in chicken genetics, I’m still learning them as well!
The barring gene is located on the male chromosome, so males have two when from a barred/barred cross.

I don’t think it should be possible for a single barred rooster in that pairing. The father always give one since he’s double barred, and the hen will pass on her male chromosome that has the gene to her sons but not her daughters since they receive her female chromosome.

This is why I stick to sex links and solids.

 

[GirlsMommy18]

Thanks, that's definitely informative. Genetics is crazy, and complicated. Looks like I very likely got one color sexable chick anyways, even though it sure wasn't the cross I had in mind.