Little Bootlegger Hen (I hope?)

[hkb]

This little chick hatched from a mint green easter egger egg. The roo is a silkie. Is that a mix that can be feather sexed? I'm calling her a bootlegger because 1) she's a booted easter egger, and 2) I'm not allowed to have chickens, so she's going to be laying bootleg eggs, or "bootleggs".

I'm being optimistic and assuming that my hunch that this is a female is correct, but I'd like external validation (or to have my bubble burst now rather than later). From what I understand, feathering can be slow or fast, and this is a sex-linked trait, so the fact that the feathers aren't an even length means this is probably a hen (but not necessarily since EEs are mutts)... is that accurate or close to accurate? Pic is at one week old.

 

[hkb]

This pic was two days earlier at 5 days old, in case that matters

 

[featheredplanets]

I’m fairly certain this mix can’t be feather sexed. Silkies can’t be sexed this way. Easter eggers are a mixed breed, but they usually have Ameraucana in them, that breed also can’t be feather sexed. Best bet is to wait another 5/6 weeks and post back.

 

[hkb]

I’m fairly certain this mix can’t be feather sexed. Silkies can’t be sexed this way. Easter eggers are a mixed breed, but they usually have Ameraucana in them, that breed also can’t be feather sexed. Best bet is to wait another 5/6 weeks and post back.

From what I understand, the fact that a certain breed can't be feather sexed doesn't mean a cross of that breed can't be feather sexed, just like with sex-link hybrids where the barring gene is only passed to cockerels. The EEs are high Ameraurcana content, so both parents are likely homozygous for whatever feathering gene they may have, which will result in heterozygous hens. I think...

At any rate, I know it wouldn't be a sure thing, but for calculating probability, we can pretend the hen is purebred Ameraucana.

 

[featheredplanets]

From what I understand, the fact that a certain breed can't be feather sexed doesn't mean a cross of that breed can't be feather sexed, just like with sex-link hybrids where the barring gene is only passed to cockerels. The EEs are high Ameraurcana content, so both parents are likely homozygous for whatever feathering gene they may have, which will result in heterozygous hens. I think...

At any rate, I know it wouldn't be a sure thing, but for calculating probability, we can pretend the hen is purebred Ameraucana.

I would probably post in Exhibition and Genetics.

 

[hkb]

Oops, now this thread was moved but I already made a new thread. Sorry, I'm still "chirping"

 

[hkb]

Hey look, I found more information. Black skin is a sex-linked trait, too, so my little bootlegger is a pullet because she has black skin like her silkie father.

Quote from link:

"So, when you breed a not Silkie male to a Silkie female, the pullets from the cross will be completely light skinned just like their father. The cockerels from this cross will have one gene for light skin and one for dark skin. Because the gene for dark skin is incompletely dominant, you'll see some traits of the recessive light skin "underneath". The cockerels won't be as dark skinned as a Silkie or as light as a light skinned chick.

Conversely, if you breed a Silkie male and a not Silkie female, the pullets from the cross will be completely dark just like their Silkie sire. The cockerels from the cross will be intermediates just like cockerels from a not Silkie father and a Silkie mother." ​

 

[nicalandia]

Hey look, I found more information. Black skin is a sex-linked trait, too, so my little bootlegger is a pullet because she has black skin like her silkie father.

Not Quite.

The information on that page is oversimplified, let me try to explain.

 

[nicalandia]

In order for a Chicken to have Black Skin/Bones/meat it needs two genes, one Autosomal(Fibromelanotic Fm) and Sex Linked Dermal enhancer id+(lower case i to indicate it's recessive and the + sign to indicate that is of a wild type nature as in found in Red Jungle Fowl).

Genes at play here:
Fm = Autosomal Fibromelanotic, the wild type recessive counterpart is fm+
Id = Sex linked Dermal Inhibitor, the wild type recessive counterpart is id+


Black Skin/Bone/Meat/Shanks = Fm/Fm, id+/id+ for males and id+/- for females(can only have one copy of a sex linked gene)

White Skin but with Dark Shanks = fm+/fm+. id+/id+ for males and id+/- for females

White Skin but with White Shanks = fm+/fm+, Id/Id for male sand Id/- for females

When you cross Black Skin rooster with White skin hen but with dark shanks(the reciprocal cross will produce the same outcome) = All of the progeny will be Fm/fm+, id+/id+ for males and Fm/fm+, id+/- for females and all of them will have black skin due to Fibromelanotic and id+ boosting the melanin pigment generation.

When you cross a Black Skin rooster with a White Skin hen but with white/yellow shanks = The Male progeny will be Fm/fm+, Id/id+ and the females will be Fm/fm+, id+/-(Lone id+ from Silkie sire), Even one copy of sex linked dermal inhibitor Id is enough to prevent melanin formation at the male skin so they will have white skin at hatch but the female will have black skin this is a Id vs id+ sex linked cross boosted by Fibromelanotic.

When you cross a White Skin/White Shank rooster(fm+, Id) with a Black Skin hen(Fm, id+) All of the progeny will have white skin.

Way back in 2012 I predicted such cross on this this thread(second post of the thread and prediction was confirmed by hatching chicks and as adult birds)

Genetics : Take a guess before hatch
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/genetics-take-a-guess-before-hatch-pics.704161/

 

[nicalandia]

Did anyone take note of my post? besides Texas Kiki that is..!