Biel x Jersey Giant or BA

[LaurenRitz]

We hatched 4 chicks. Father was definitely Bielefelder, mothers were either Black Australorp (3) or Jersey Giant (1).

All were black at hatch and are now showing considerable barring as teenagers. They also have yellow feet. Three are left, as one was killed in a dog attack. One is a cockerel.

Would there be any way to visually tell apart the Biel x JG as opposed to the Biel x BA? Now or as adults? I suspect the JG mix was killed by the dog, which would mean that only BA mixes have survived.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sorry for your loss.

Well.. the Australorp has white skin and the Giants have yellow.

The Bielefelder have yellow.

I think white is dominant.. so the Biel cross BA.. would be white skin. And the Biel cross giant would be yellow skin.. In theory..

Barring coming from the father means any chicks could have it, though I don't recall if there's a specific typical percentage.

Ah, upon reading the following link.. I'm reminded.. that dominant traits can hide recessive ones.. so you MAY still get yellow skinned chickens when crossing white to yellow (if the white skinned bird is hiding a yellow skin gene).. It also reminds me that diet heavily effects skin pigment in post #9 (skip past the drama please)..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/yellow-skin-dominance.1114329/

Aside from that.. all are straight combed and that's a recessive genetic trait so nothing else is possible there.

All lay brown eggs, have four toes, with clean face and legs, and red lobes.. Bringing me to the realization I presumed your JG was black also. A blue or white one might produce different results.

Please verify all statements made as I'm very novice in genetics.

Hope this helps some or get's the conversation going..

Happy adventures!

 

[NatJ]

We hatched 4 chicks. Father was definitely Bielefelder, mothers were either Black Australorp (3) or Jersey Giant (1).

All were black at hatch and are now showing considerable barring as teenagers. They also have yellow feet.

Do the Black Australorp mothers have white or yellow on their feet?

If both parents have yellow feet, then all chicks should also have yellow feet.

But with a yellow-foot father and a white-foot mother, I would expect some white-footed chicks.

I would suggest you re-check foot color as they grow, because sometimes it changes in the first few weeks or months.

Would there be any way to visually tell apart the Biel x JG as opposed to the Biel x BA? Now or as adults? I suspect the JG mix was killed by the dog, which would mean that only BA mixes have survived.

Other than foot color (if there is a difference in that), I cannot think of any way to be sure which are which.

They should all be large chickens, black with white barring and a possibility of red/gold leakage, with single combs, no crest, no foot feathers, no extra toes, no muff/beard, and so forth (basically, no other genetic traits that would be useful for sorting out parentage.)

 

[LaurenRitz]

I'll double check, but I believe all the possible BA mothers have white feet. I had two JG eggs but only one hatched so I know for certain that only one of the 4 was a JG cross.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Sorry about your chickie!
I don't think that you would be able to tell them apart. Your best hope would be that the Jersey Giant mixed chick would be bigger than the Black Australorp mixed chick.

 

[LaurenRitz]

This is one of the pullets--definitely pink.

The cockerel obliged and showed me the bottom of his feet today, and he's definitely yellow.

 

[NatJ]

This is one of the pullets--definitely pink.

View attachment 3701149

The cockerel obliged and showed me the bottom of his feet today, and he's definitely yellow.

View attachment 3701156

The pink-foot one (white skin) would be from one of your Australorps.

The yellow-foot one might be from the Jersey Giant, or he might be from an Australorp that carries the gene for yellow skin (since a chicken can show white skin while carrying the gene for yellow. Purebred chickens are not "supposed" to be carrying genes for the wrong skin color, but it definitely does happen sometimes.)

 

[LaurenRitz]

So likely both pullets are BA crosses. The cockerel could still be either, but is more likely that he's the JJ cross rather than BA.

 

[NatJ]

So likely both pullets are BA crosses. The cockerel could still be either, but is more likely that he's the JJ cross rather than BA.

It would be good to check the other pullet to be sure about the color of her feet too, but yes that's what I am thinking.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I was only able to catch one, but the other pullet has legs precisely the same color. Still looks yellow to my eye, but a much lighter color than the cockerel.

Until I can corner all three to check, I'll assume the sole color is the same.