?barring sex link question

[vpeterson]

I have a female bantam barred cochin and a male white silkie. Will I be able to tell the male from the female chicks from this pair at birth? I read somewhere about the female only transmitting barring to the male chicks. What coloring will let me know which is which?

 

[nzpouter]

yes you can as long as your white silkie roo is not masking any barring gene and your barred hen is not carrying reccessive white...

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can check this link for better information than I can give, but I don't think so. It is true only the male chicks will have the barring, but that is usually indicated by a white spot on the head. With a white father, I think it might be hard to distinquish the white spot. If the white silkie is recessive white, not dominant white, maybe, but I would not count on it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208

I started to say that since barring is dominant, you would know if the silkie is carrying a barred gene, but I am not sure the case. It may be possible the silkie has white on white barring, which would not be visible. But I'm also not sure if you have to have Columbian to restrict the black barring, in which case the tail would probably be black barred.

You did not mention the coloring of the hen. The normal assumption is black and white barring but it can be other colors. And as Nzpouter points out, a recessive gen in the hen could also mess it up.

Nzpouter, what would be the distinguishing markings on the chick at hatch to determine the sex, assuming it is possible?

 

[vpeterson]

The hen is black and white barring.

 

[RAREROO]

Then if your hen is Black Barred doesn't have a recessive white gene and your Silkie roo is not masking Barring under his white ( which there is no what to tell until you breed him) Then you shoud get sexable chicks.

The females whould be solid black or at least have solid black heads on the top, and your roos should have white spots on top of their head.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Wel, I will disagree that you will be able to predict the colour of the female chicks--you're as likely to get partridge or blue or pink laced as black, but I do agree that the males would be the only ones barred if, as stated, the white silkie isn't hiding barring. However I am thinking that if he is, his comb/wattles are likely to be pretty red. And of course if the mama carries a copy of recessive white, then some portion of the babies will be white, and that will make no difference gender-wise.

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Oh yeah, that's right, Thanks for pointing that out, I had said that the hens would be black under the assumption that the white roo was masking Black, which is the color that most rec. white breeds are masking, I had forgotten that with all the colors of silkies, there are serveral colors that could be masked under the white.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I thought if the rooster is dominant white, the barring would not show? Both chicks would be white.

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
True, But Silkies are generally Recessive White.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks, I feel better.