Purpose of sex-links?

[rodriguezpoultry]

That they have.

http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld001.htm

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I meant to add, the sexing varies. Even in the Langshan, the females feather in faster than the males. I have males that are 14 weeks old that are not entirely covered in feathers while the females feathered in at 9 to 12 weeks old.

In the Leghorn example, the female chicks have the rapid-feathering gene. The females will have the primaries longer than the coverts, whereas the males will have the primaries and coverts the same length, but MUCH shorter than the pullets.

http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm

 

[Krys109uk]

I know how feather sex linkage works. I'd heard of rapid feathering gene (k+) males, such as leghorns, being bred to breeds such as RIR which had the slow feathering gene (K),
I hadn't known the commercial companies had developed a special strain of leghorns with the K gene in order to be able to breed them to k+ males.

I meant to add, the sexing varies. Even in the Langshan, the females feather in faster than the males. I have males that are 14 weeks old that are not entirely covered in feathers while the females feathered in at 9 to 12 weeks old.

I expect langshans are K.
I've wondered whether the disparity in rates of feather growth within a breed could be due to dose dependence of the sex linked gene.​