Breeding sex links

[dolmen]

this is an oldish thread but I've been searching for answers and you may be able to help. I'm starting with Black Australorp rooster and Barred Plymouth Rock hen, am I correct in thinking that this should give me black hens for the laying yard and Barred males?
In time put these Barred males back to Australorp hens which should give me Barred females and Barred males plus others? Its the next generation that causes me confusion, putting these Barred brother/ sisters together should give me what? please forgive a beginner and his simple questions.
If you had pics at each stage I'd really appreciate seeing the outcome of your experience, tia.

Anyone have advice and pics? tia

 

[podgal]

Evemfoster... so a RIR roo over a white leghorn hen, sex linked babies? I'm trying to figure my pens for the spring. Thanks in advance.

 

[dheltzel]

Evemfoster... so a RIR roo over a white leghorn hen, sex linked babies? I'm trying to figure my pens for the spring. Thanks in advance.

No, all the chicks will be white with some red leakage, but definitely not sex-linked. White leghorns are "dominant white" not silver. To get red sex links, you need a silver hen, like a white rock or Delaware.

 

[dheltzel]

Anyone have advice and pics? tia

Only the first cross (BA roo over barred rock hens) will give you black sex links. The males from that will be barred and the females not barred, which is the opposite of what you need for sex-links.

 

[dolmen]

Only the first cross (BA roo over barred rock hens) will give you black sex links. The males from that will be barred and the females not barred, which is the opposite of what you need for sex-links.

Yes, I know, but my question is really about the third generation. I'm led to believe that they are 15/16th bred and will breed true? Any opinions on this are appreciated. tnx

 

[dheltzel]

Ok, I get what you are asking now. The "rule" for black sex links is easy:
1) hen must be barred. There is no such thing as a double barred hen (unless you are dealing with autosomal barring, but that is quite rare and not the barring in barred rocks)
2) roo must not be barred at all. Black roos are ideal and what you will get with your 2 breeds.

F1 (sexlinks) - all hens non-barred, all roos single barred
F2 (F1's crossed to each other) - 1/2 the chicks will be barred, half non-barred, no sex linkage, so "random" sex distribution (some of each)
F3 - cross a barred hen with a non-barred roo to get black sex links again

Maintained like this, every other generation will be sex-links.

 

[dolmen]

this is an oldish thread but I've been searching for answers and you may be able to help. I'm starting with Black Australorp rooster and Barred Plymouth Rock hen, am I correct in thinking that this should give me black hens for the laying yard and Barred males?
In time put these Barred males back to Australorp hens which should give me Barred females and Barred males plus others? Its the next generation that causes me confusion, putting these Barred brother/ sisters together should give me what? please forgive a beginner and his simple questions.
If you had pics at each stage I'd really appreciate seeing the outcome of your experience, tia.

I'll try asking this differently,
1st cross is Austalorp rooster on Barred Plymouth hen = non-barred hens + barred males
2nd cross is barred males on Australorp hen = barred females + barred males + others
3rd cross is barred male on barred female = ??? Im wondering what I'm likely to get in this 3rd generation? will they take after/look like Australorp or Rocks? I was thinking that the Barred gene would now be set in an Australorp looking bird that would give sex link/barred male chicks?? I'm certainly no expert, hence I'm asking for advice/help to see if I can get my head around these poultry genes. tia

Ok, I get what you are asking now. The "rule" for black sex links is easy:
1) hen must be barred. There is no such thing as a double barred hen (unless you are dealing with autosomal barring, but that is quite rare and not the barring in barred rocks)
2) roo must not be barred at all. Black roos are ideal and what you will get with your 2 breeds.

F1 (sexlinks) - all hens non-barred, all roos single barred
F2 (F1's crossed to each other) - 1/2 the chicks will be barred, half non-barred, no sex linkage, so "random" sex distribution (some of each)
F3 - cross a barred hen with a non-barred roo to get black sex links again

Maintained like this, every other generation will be sex-links.

Thanks for that, could you perhaps advise as to the above plan, tia.

 

[dheltzel]

Your 3rd cross (both parents are barred F2's) will give you:
hens - 50% barred, 50% black
cocks - 50% single barred (colored like the barred hens), 50% double barred (roughly twice as much white as the single barred)

If you are looking to create barred Australorps, take the double barred males from this and put them over the barred hens. The barring will now breed true, just like barred rocks. Will they look/act enough like Australorps? IDK, they are really still 25% rocks. If you aren't happy with them, redo the 2nd cross until you get enough BA genes.

These will produce chicks colored very much like barred rocks (or Dominiques, Barred Hollands, or any other barred on black breed). The chicks would not be considered sex-links unless you take these barred hens and cross them to a BA cock, then you get one generation of sex-links. They are also not going to qualify as "auto-sexing", in the sense that legbars and rhodebars are true breeding and always sexable at hatch. Black barred chicks tend to be hard to sex by the head spots at hatch, but they become very easily sexable at a few weeks of age.

 

[dolmen]

thank you, thats the info I was after, most informative. Have you produced any of these Black Dots yourself? If I wanted to introduce tighter feathering and try and improve on egg laying would you say minorca blood via a male or female? or anything else you'd care to share? tia

 

[dheltzel]

thank you, thats the info I was after, most informative. Have you produced any of these Black Dots yourself? If I wanted to introduce tighter feathering and try and improve on egg laying would you say minorca blood via a male or female? or anything else you'd care to share? tia

I have made blue sex-links from BR x Breda Fowl, and black sex-links from BR x Welsummers, and I intend to make some other crosses next year to get blue sex-links that lay blue eggs.

What egg coloring are you aiming for? Minorcas vs BA's will affect the egg color. I've never raised either, so I only know that BA's are considered to be excellent layers. It would probably be hard to find a strain of Minorcas that would lay as well as hatchery BA's.

You can find people more knowledgeable than me for feathering and laying ability, most of my genetic knowledge is around sex-linked traits, since that is what I find most fascinating.