RIR Roo x California White Leghorn

Seraki

Hatching
10 Years
May 23, 2009
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7
Phoenix
I have a RIR rooster, and we're hatcing eggs from our California white leghorns. Will we get sex links from the cross? A friend mentioned we would have Cinnamon Queens. Thanks!
 
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A California White is supposedly a cross from a Califiornia Gray and a White leghorn. I don't know the genetic makeup of a California Gray. Most White Leghorns are dominant white, not Silver based. If the two parents of the hen are both Silver based, then you could get a sex link from a cross. But I don't think either are silver based, so I really doubt you will get a sex link from that cross.

Cinnamon Queens are supposedly a cross from New Hampshire Red roo or a RIR roo over a Silver Laced Wyandotte hen. So no, a California White crossed with a RIR will not give you a Cinnamon Queen. Your California White is not a SLW.

I'd expect you to get a pretty good laying hen from that cross.
 
Thanks for the reply! My understanding is that a California Gray is a cross of a Barred Plymouth Rocks and White Leghorns. Are Are the BRP's a silver? And if so, would that be enough of the silver gene to create a sex-link?
 
The California Gray is a breed of chicken developed in the U.S. state of California in the 1930s by James Dryden, a professor of poultry science at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University. The objective of the breed's creator was to produce a dual–purpose chicken that was suitable for meat production and laid large white eggs. By crossing Barred Plymouth Rocks and White Leghorns, a naturally autosexing breed with gray barred plumage (as adults) was produced. Largely because the breed was never recognized officially for exhibition by the American Poultry Association, California Grays are a rare breed in the 21st century. They were later used to develop the California White, a commercial hybrid

from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gray
The California Gray was developed around 1940 by Professor James Dryden. The goal was a dual purpose breed that laid large white eggs, as that was what the market wanted at that time. The birds have a body type heavier than a Leghorn but not as "clunky" as a Rock. Unlike most of the white egg breeds, Grays are not flighty birds and are excellent winter layers in cold climates.

When California Gray roosters are put on White Leghorn hens, a sex-linked hybrid, the California White, is produced. This hybrid is popular in the northern midwest and Canada. It is a white bird with occasional black feathers and can be feather-sexed at hatching

from feather site​
 
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I'm thinking about doing this cross myself and was curious what you got? Any pictures?
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There are a few incorrect points here.

Most White Leghorns are dominant white, not Silver based

White leghorns are Dom white and ARE Silver based as well, thats why they dont show any red. Remember that even solid black and solid barred birds are either Silver or Gold based, though usually silver. In the case of the White leghorns, Most of them are Silver based Extended black or birchen masked by Dom White, however, just like you dont get easiyly sexable chicks from breed Red on Silver based black, you dont get sexlinked chicks from breeding Red on White birds that are masking black. So they are silver based, just still dont produce chicks that can be sexed at hatch.

If the two parents of the hen are both Silver based, then you could get a sex link from a cross.

As long as the silver is in a pattern form that can show the sexlinkage as chicks ( like Columbian, Laced, Penciled, Duckwing, ect...) Then only the father of the hen has to be silver gened. Crossing say a Light Sussex roo ( Silver Gened) on a Buff Sussex hen( Gold gened) Would give pure Silver gened pullets that could be used with a gold gened roo to make sexlinks.

Cinnamon Queens are supposedly a cross from New Hampshire Red roo or a RIR roo over a Silver Laced Wyandotte hen.

Thats from false info on the internet and at least one other book I've seen it in. If Cinnamon Queens are the white tial red, single combed birds like Cackle sales, then they can NOT come from this cross.
Firstly crossing Rose comb with Single comb is going to give mostly if not all Rose combed chicks, the Cin Queens are single combed.
Also the white in the tails comes from Dominant white being used in the cross, and neither RIRs or SLWs carry Dom White.​
 
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from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gray
The California Gray was developed around 1940 by Professor James Dryden. The goal was a dual purpose breed that laid large white eggs, as that was what the market wanted at that time. The birds have a body type heavier than a Leghorn but not as "clunky" as a Rock. Unlike most of the white egg breeds, Grays are not flighty birds and are excellent winter layers in cold climates.

When California Gray roosters are put on White Leghorn hens, a sex-linked hybrid, the California White, is produced. This hybrid is popular in the northern midwest and Canada. It is a white bird with occasional black feathers and can be feather-sexed at hatching

from feather site​

The genetics isnt really adding up for what they are saying about these crosses, But the California Greys probably arent just an F1 cross of Barred Rocks to white Leghorns as White leghorns are Dom white and the first generation offspring would be Het for Dom White and Barring makeing them white with a few black spots.

And breeding a Cali Grey roo on White Leghorn hens shouldnt make Sexlinks. They would be the same color as the Barred Rocks crossed on White Leghorns as they are in most pictures shown by hatcheries that sell these birds. Feather Sexing may have been used in the BR X WL but it shouldnt be applicable in the CG X WL.

And another thing to remember is these studies and crosses by univerisites and the large hatcheries are from using birds that have been studied and their underlying genectis would be know, so this isnt to say you can cross any White Leghorn with a Barred Rock and get these California Greys, this is where the info on crosses on the internet gets people confused and misinformed. And its the same or useing White Rocks in Sexlink crosses. The hatcheries that use White Rocks know what they're strain is carrying and not all White Rocks will work.




But for the OP's question, if California Whites are from a California Grey roo ( who is barred) on White Leghorn hens ( who are Dominant White), then the California Whites would be carrying one copy of Barring and one Copy of Dominant White. And breeding a RIR rooster to them should give black sexlinks since the hens are barred, but since they are also het for Dom White being bred to a roo who doesnt carry Dom White, half of the offspring would have their black replaced by White. So half of the pullets should be black and half should be white. Half of the roos should be barred, and half should be white with very faint, barely noticeable "ghost Barring"
 

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