Can I create a sex link with any of my breeds?

[Cara]

The demand for chicks, in particular pullets, is out of control here! The feedstore can only order hatchery choice, and not even as many as they want. They offered to send any chick customers to me. Problem is, most of them will want pullets and I can't sex chicks. I really don't want to raise 'started pullets' as the feed cost rarely makes it worthwhile. I was wondering whether I could create sex links by cross-breeding any of my breeds currently laying:

Cuckoo Marans hens only
Buff Orpingtons
Black Orpingtons
Blue Wyandottes
Easter Egger hens
Gold Laced Wyandotte rooster
Black Ameraucana rooster

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[monarc23]

are any of your ee roos red? IF so cross them with your marans!

Black sexlinks.


Goldlaced im not sure if that's a step away from red, if it is you may get sex links breeding those to the marans as well but im hopin for a red ee roo for you

 

[Cara]

I forgot to mention I only have EE hens. I wonder if Buff Orp/Marans might work?

 

[Buster]

Buff Orp or Black Orp over Cuckoo Marans is supposed to create a sex-linked chick. I am going to be trying this very soon myself. I will go dig up the thread about it.

 

[Buster]

Here is the thread I had going a while back. It gave me the idea to try it. I already have a black orp rooster over cuckoo marans hens so I'm going to give it a shot.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=122547

 

[Cara]

Thanks for your help guys

I feel like a dork right now; I bred Marans/Orpingtons last year. From what I can recall some had white spots on their heads, but it didn't occur to me that they might be sex linked

I only have two of them, the owl killed the others as chicks, and they do look quite different. The male is buff and white cuckoo and the hen looks almost like an Easter Egger. Not sure whether they'd all turn out like that though.

 

[Buster]

Quote:
If you try it let me know how it goes. I'm going to set some soon and I'll pass on any info I have about it to you as well. I have a lot of people locally who only want pullets and that will be my best shot to do it with for a while.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Another option is to look for a "free roo" to bring into your flock. Lots of people try to get rid of their excess, my local craigslist is full of them right now.

 

[Cara]

This is the rooster I ended up with:

This is the pullet:

 

[Buster]

Hey those look kinda neat. Are they from Buff Orp X Cuckoo Marans?