Can White Orpingtons be used to make red sex-links?

[Cowgirl71]

They are not mentioned on Tadkerson's sticky. I'm curious if they carry the silver gene...

 

[RAREROO]

I would doubt it. I'm pretty sure they are one of those recessive white breeds that don't have the silver genes like Javas, Giants, Wyandottes, Ameraucanas, ect...

 

[Cowgirl71]

Thanks!

 

[Bantimna]

I agree with RAREROO, but some might

 

[ChickFarmer]

You can tell if a white bird carries silver at day old. They will have some silver gray on the down. The silver gene is used in some white birds to get a cleaner white.

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
But they could just be Silver Based black under the white and still not work to make sexlinks. Like with White Javas and White Giants, they hatch out a smokey grey color and feather out to be white. And they are masking black under the White and wouldnt work to make Sexlinks.

 

[ChickFarmer]

I havent had either of those breeds do they hatch out with penguin pattern down? If so red and silver could show on the face.

 

[ChickFarmer]

OP, perhaps you will just have to do a test mating.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Quote:
I was asking because I was going to buy some hens from a lady who was downsizing her flock. The only reason I would want the White Orpingtons would be to make Sexlinks, so I didn't get them (I bought all of her Barred Rocks though

). The lady had three White Orps at the time, but since then a fox got one of them, and one of them flipped a black rubber pan over on herself and fried herself in the August heat... So she only has one White Orp hen left, but my coops are all full.

 

[Illia]

Some white birds have barring in them, so who knows, it doesn't hurt to try.