EE/OE Chick With Head Spot - Gender Question

[LilChickens2]

Placed several EE/OE eggs under one of my broody hens and this one popped out of one. The spot on its head isn't perfect (multiple little spots) so is it possible it is NOT sex-linked and this is just a random head spot? I feel like I can see the beginning of a comb already though.

Thoughts appreciated, thanks!

 

[Pyxis]

It would be sex linked if the hen was barred and the rooster wasn't.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree

 

[LilChickens2]

It would be sex linked if the hen was barred and the rooster wasn't.

I only have five possible mama candidates: I have two OE hens that don't show barring but their brother does. Is it possible that even if they don't show barring that they are still considered barred? My other three EE hens look like the typical EE from Mcmurray Murray.

 

[Pyxis]

No, if the hens don't appear barred then they aren't barred. This little chick is not sex linked and you can't tell the gender from its color

 

[AshlyMommaWard]

Is the "brother" in with them? If he is the father, and barred, then all of your chicks will be barred, male or female. You could play around with watching headspots and decide if shape or size of them means anything. But once it get s a few wing feathers, wider white striped = male, giving overall lighter look. wider black stripes = female, giving over all darker look.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

It would be sex linked if the hen was barred and the rooster wasn't.

x2

 

[donrae]

The only thing that can "hide" barring is dominant white. So, if the bird isn't white, and doesn't show barring, it isn't barred and can't pass that on.

This chick did have a barred parent, though. That head spot is liked to the barring gene, it's not a random thing. If no mommas are barred, the father must have been. The barred father means the color/pattern is not linked to the sex, though

 

[LilChickens2]

Fascinating! Though the OEs weren't in with their "brother", I do have a couple Polish/Dominique cockerel mixes that were let out by mistake at the same time as the flock with the EE/OEs and one of them could possibly be the father. The Polish/Dominique cockerels appear to have barred markings. (So is this correct for the linked to the barred spot trait). It was an awful day rounding up 7 various cockerels after having suddenly been let loose on another roosters flock. *shudder*.

 

[Pyxis]

Interestingly enough, I hatched a blue chick recently with a head spot and I was very confused because I only have one hen that carries barring and she lays white eggs and this chick hatched from a brown one, and the chick's father isn't barred either. Now that she's feathering out, it's turning out that the chick isn't barred, but she had a clear head spot, which is strange.