Breeding question

[writergirl]

Roundabout question that doesn't REALLY matter now (because chick #2 didn't make it), but I'm going to ask the question anyway. My speckled Sussex went brooding in spring and I gave up trying to break her of it and got some fertile eggs from a few friends (i have no roo). Egg#1 and Egg#2 hatched this morning. Their mother is a cuckoo maran and father is a lavender Ameraucana. Chick #1 has a solid dark head and the #2 has a creamy white spot on the head. Is this a genetic trait between male and female or just random different coloring?

Thanks.

BTW - #2 didn't make it because it hatched with the yolk sack not fully absorbed and I think Heihei (the broody) tried to "help". It lived for about eight hours.

 

[Cyprus]

When you cross a barred female with a non barred male the resulting female offspring will not have barring and the resulting male offspring will. The males will hatch with that spot on their head. This is called sex-linkage.
The second chick to hatch was a male. The one you have left is a female.

 

[writergirl]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I had a another successful hatch this morning. She's all Ameraucana though, so I doubt there's a way to tell gender yet. (Going to keep calling it a she until I find out otherwise)