Help me understand barring?

kurby22

Crossing the Road
Apr 12, 2021
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I am wondering specifically about what happens when the rooster is a lavender cuckoo and the hen is solid lavender. I know the batting comes from the males…does this mean only the boys will be barred? Thanks!

Also, to complicate things, the bird in question is supposed to be a lavender Orpington but it has a small amount of feathering popping out on one leg and it’s comb was yellow until about 4 weeks old. Is it possible it’s a cross? And with what? 😆

@NatJ I’m always fond of your explanations :)
 

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Barring is sex linked.
Like most genes the males have two copies. One they get from their mother and one from their father.
Females on the other hand only get one gene. Theirs come from their fathers and are only passed to their sons.
Since the female is solid she has a non barring gene only. She will pass that to her sons.
Males can have 2 barring genes. In that case all offspring will get one and all will be barred.
They can have 2 non barring genes and all offspring will get a non barred gene. If bred to a barred female all males will get a barring gene from their mom but the daughters won't. Those are known as black sex links.
A male can also have one barring gene and one non barring gene. In that case it's a 50/50 shot on any/all offspring to get a barring or non barring gene.
If your male is a double barred gene male all offspring will be barred. Male offspring will be single barred gene males though.
 
Barring is sex linked.
Like most genes the males have two copies. One they get from their mother and one from their father.
Females on the other hand only get one gene. Theirs come from their fathers and are only passed to their sons.
Since the female is solid she has a non barring gene only. She will pass that to her sons.
Males can have 2 barring genes. In that case all offspring will get one and all will be barred.
They can have 2 non barring genes and all offspring will get a non barred gene. If bred to a barred female all males will get a barring gene from their mom but the daughters won't. Those are known as black sex links.
A male can also have one barring gene and one non barring gene. In that case it's a 50/50 shot on any/all offspring to get a barring or non barring gene.
If your male is a double barred gene male all offspring will be barred. Male offspring will be single barred gene males though.
Thanks! That’s well explained for my simple brain 😆 I’m a lost cause with the genetic lettering!
 
Lol most are. I catch grief sometimes for not being technical but I like to say it in a way that beginners can understand and not get turned off by the technical explanations.
You can always pick up the proper terminology as you learn.
 
I am wondering specifically about what happens when the rooster is a lavender cuckoo and the hen is solid lavender.
If your rooster carries one copy, 50% of the offspring will be barred, no matter the gender. If he carries two, they will all be barred and carry one copy.

I know the batting comes from the males…does this mean only the boys will be barred? Thanks!
The barring gene is carried on the Z sex chromosome, which males have two of, but females have only one. This means boys can be not barred, single barred, or double barred., but females can only have it (single barred), or not have it.

Barring does not always come from the males, but it will in your case because your rooster is the one carrying barring.



What you’re thinking of is black sexlinks, which uses barring. To make black sexlinks you cross a non-barred male to a barred female.

A male can only give out Z chromosomes to his offspring. This means females are the ones who determine the sex. (Opposite in humans)

So you have a male give every single one of his offspring a Z chromosome that does not carry barring. Then the female will either lock in that not barred trait by giving it a W chromosome creating a female, or will ‘override” it by giving the offspring a Z chromosome carrying barring, and making it male.
Also, to complicate things, the bird in question is supposed to be a lavender Orpington but it has a small amount of feathering popping out on one leg and it’s comb was yellow until about 4 weeks old. Is it possible it’s a cross? And with what? 😆
Possible, can you get photos of the legs? I’ve heard of some orpingtons getting some feather stubs due to their heritage.
 
just putting it out there but chickens do NOT have X and Y chromosomes like a mammal. they DO have W and Z chromosomes like all other birds and the male has two Z chromosomes ZZ
and the female has both W and a Z, so WZ this means it is the female who decides if the chick is a girl or a boy :) hopping this helps you under stand it a bit better
 
If your rooster carries one copy, 50% of the offspring will be barred, no matter the gender. If he carries two, they will all be barred and carry one copy.


The barring gene is carried on the Z sex chromosome, which males have two of, but females have only one. This means boys can be not barred, single barred, or double barred., but females can only have it (single barred), or not have it.

Barring does not always come from the males, but it will in your case because your rooster is the one carrying barring.



What you’re thinking of is black sexlinks, which uses barring. To make black sexlinks you cross a non-barred male to a barred female.

A male can only give out Z chromosomes to his offspring. This means females are the ones who determine the sex. (Opposite in humans)

So you have a male give every single one of his offspring a Z chromosome that does not carry barring. Then the female will either lock in that not barred trait by giving it a W chromosome creating a female, or will ‘override” it by giving the offspring a Z chromosome carrying barring, and making it male.

Possible, can you get photos of the legs? I’ve heard of some orpingtons getting some feather stubs due to their heritage.
Thank you! This helps too. I knew smart folks would help me! 🙃

Here are a couple pics! With a couple baby pics too!
 

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