Mystery chick - pic heavy

[citybiddies]

Yes, the comb is black, but it is a single comb. For a while I was wondering if it might be part Jersey Giant, but the egg was the same size or even a bit smaller than the other eggs we were given. Those all came from the same hen and hatched nearly identical white chicks, except that two appear to be rose combed and one single combed. The two that are rose combed seem to have what I've read is a "leaky" dominant white color pattern, with one or two black tipped feathers. The other looks like it is completely white so far and has a single comb. Here they are, just in case they can shed any light onto which rooster sired the mystery chick.
This is the mother, when she was still a pullet. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like a single comb, which would mean that the rose combed chicks, at least, were sired by the Dominique, right?

 

[stephanie1992]

black sex link hen

 

[WinklerFarms]

With the sex links not every non barred roo over any barred hen will give sex links either. Only the right gene combinations can create a sex link.
Not every offspring of a barred male is barred (or at least appears barred). Barring can be hidden but the dominant gene is still there.

 

[dretd]

With the sex links not every non barred roo over any barred hen will give sex links either. Only the right gene combinations can create a sex link.
Not every offspring of a barred male is barred (or at least appears barred). Barring can be hidden but the dominant gene is still there.

The only color I know of that will cover barring is dominant white, and this chick is clearly not white. I am obviously in the dark and need more info. Which other colors will cover barring and do any if these colors match this chick? Thanks.

 

[citybiddies]

So, it sounds like this chick was sired by the red rooster, not the Dominique. And we know that from the lack of barring, is that correct? Then is there anything we can guess or even know about the hen in terms of what color she could or could not have been? I haven't gotten a response from my email to the family asking for more info, but if genetically the hen has to be black or barred, or can't be red, etc, then I'll be able to narrow down which one it might have been. Any guesses what breed/mix the red rooster is? I'm getting better at recognizing hens of the more common breeds, but have no experience at all with roosters.

 

[WinklerFarms]

There are genes that suppress barring such as the Colombian gene. (delawares are one example) I have hatched out barred chicks out of two NONBARRED parents, and neither of them were carrying dominant white. . This means the barring was not dominant in either parent, which would make sense because they carry the Colombian gene.

I am not trying to argue with anyone here. I am just saying that with mutts you never know what could happen. Hidden and suppressive genes can surprise a person.

 

[WinklerFarms]

Ok here is also what I am trying to get at. I am not an expert at all. Here is a post that explains the whole barring thing better than I can, because try as I might I can never convey the true meaning of what I am trying to say when I type.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/181499/barring-gene

 

[donrae]

So, it sounds like this chick was sired by the red rooster, not the Dominique. And we know that from the lack of barring, is that correct? Then is there anything we can guess or even know about the hen in terms of what color she could or could not have been? I haven't gotten a response from my email to the family asking for more info, but if genetically the hen has to be black or barred, or can't be red, etc, then I'll be able to narrow down which one it might have been. Any guesses what breed/mix the red rooster is? I'm getting better at recognizing hens of the more common breeds, but have no experience at all with roosters.

If they have barred rock hens, that would be my guess. Red roo over barred hen = black sex link. Your hen looks quite similar to some home hatched black sex links I've had. Knowing what breeds they have to choose from will help.

I guess the hen could be a dominique, but then the comb would reflect that.

The red rooster just looks like a generic red bird. You could probably call him a New Hampshire, but to me that comb reflects mixed heritage.

 

[dretd]

There are genes that suppress barring such as the Colombian gene. (delawares are one example) I have hatched out barred chicks out of two NONBARRED parents, and neither of them were carrying dominant white. . This means the barring was not dominant in either parent, which would make sense because they carry the Colombian gene.
I am not trying to argue with anyone here. I am just saying that with mutts you never know what could happen. Hidden and suppressive genes can surprise a person.

Actually, there is a decent explanation of Delaware color genetics: http://www.delawarepoultryclub.org/history.html The Delaware started as a cross between a Barred Rock roo and a New Hampshire hen then selectively breeding the unusual 'silver sports' that came up. The Delaware has barring in the columbian distribution so the barring is there just supressed on the body because of the columbian patterning. If you know anything about horses, there is a similar gene to the columbian called agouti--if the horse has it it supresses the black on the body and the horse is a bay: brown with black mane, tail and legs instead of solid black. It would be very interesting to see photos of the parents you referred to and the resulting chick to try to figure out what is going on.

I am really interested in color genetics and hope you realize that I am not trying to be argumentative either. Its more like a puzzle that you try to figure out!

 

[WinklerFarms]

The parents of the barred chicks were del x hamp 2nd generation but both carried the new hamp color. They looked like br chicks at hatch but when feathers came in there was a lot of gold leakage in the hackles. It is funny though because there were only a few out of a couple hundred chicks. I have since sold those chicks but I still hav the parents. I know where the barring comes from but I don't know why there were so few.