RIR x White Leghorn cross question.

[LikeTurkeys]

So my RIR over Leghorn pullets which hatched in January, February, and May, are already laying eggs - for the record CREAMY eggs (between white and red). 5 out of 7 pullets went broody and hatched, one went broody today, for a second time this year. 1 out of 10 comes this red, on the picture. Absolutely gorgeous. 9 out of 10 are white with black leaks.

That's a great update! The red looks a lot like a Gold sex-link. I wonder why only one hatched this way?

 

[Maiahr]

We don't have Gold sex-link here (which I read are RIR over RIW), maybe because we don't have Rhode Island Whites... I did look at the pictures on the Internet and yes, they look similar, which is not a surprise as both come from a RIR rooster.
So, I did not write only one hatched this red color, but 1 out of 10. I have 1-2 of these red color with white necklace in each batch. I wished more came out like that and I am thinking what to cross it with, in order to keep this color pattern.

@LikeTurkeys I like the quote in your signature

 

[NatJ]

We don't have Gold sex-link here (which I read are RIR over RIW), maybe because we don't have Rhode Island Whites...

I live in the United states, and every hatchery seems to sell sexlinks like that, but very few hatcheries sells actual Rhode Island Whites! I think they're being used for breeding, but not much selling to the public.

So, I did not write only one hatched this red color, but 1 out of 10. I have 1-2 of these red color with white necklace in each batch. I wished more came out like that and I am thinking what to cross it with, in order to keep this color pattern.

If you want more red with white necklace, you can breed them to each other, or you can breed them back to Rhode Island Red. Either way, at least half the chicks should come out that color. You will also get some that look like Rhode Island Reds (black markings instead of white markings).

 

[Maiahr]

I am analyzing this cross (RIR over white Leghorn) so any feedback would be appreciated. So far my conclusions: PROS 1. Body size the size of the RIR, i.e. there is some meat 2. Lay a good number of eggs, though they haven't done a full year yet to count. 3. Overall healthy, I have lost only one rooster to Marek. 4. Go broody but this may be biased as in my flocks everybody goes broody (even pure Leghorns) . 5. Start laying eggs at 4-4.5 months, but this could be biased as well, as all my birds (except for Brahmas) are starting to lay eggs around that age. 6. Eating habits like Leghorns i.e. eat everything , lately on a fig diet.
CONS 1. They have taken the wild and uncontrollable personality of the Leghorns. 2. Eggs are not as large as Leghorns'. 3. They are definitely not attractive in terms of appearance (well, except for those red ones with white necklace).

There may be other cons, can't think right now plus mine have not gone through the winter yet, so anybody feel free to add.

 

[Pinoy Angelfish]

I was playing around recently with the Kippenjungles chicken genetics calculator, and out of curiosity, I put in a Rhode Island Red male crossed over a White Leghorn female. Now, I've made this cross with my own birds before and chicks have always hatched out white with some red down. I'm assuming they would grow up to be white with red leakage.

I know that most hatchery White Leghorns (which is what my birds are), will have at least one copy of the dominant white gene. If I assume that, according to the calculator, half of the chicks hatched should be black (which actually leads to another question, where is the black coming from?). Since they are all hatching white with red leakage, can I assume that my White Leghorns have two copies of the dominant white gene? If I did assume that, the calculator's result is that all of the chicks would be white. Dominant white is a 'leaky' gene though so that would explain where the reddish down is coming from.

Ok, so back to the original cross placed in the calculator. Where do the all black offspring come from? Maybe I am missing something quite obvious here... looking forward to someone shedding some light on the situation!

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Thanks!

"Ok, so back to the original cross placed in the calculator. Where do the all black offspring come from? Maybe I am missing something quite obvious here... looking forward to someone shedding some light on the situation!"

The dominant white chicken in the calculator is based on the Extended black allele E/E homozygous. If you go back to the chicken calculator click on the full black rooster and click on the dominant white hen, compare their genotypes, both will be E/E but the white hen will also be I/I homozygous dominant white.

Not all dominant white chickens though are based on the Extended Black allele. Go to the calculator and click on silver birchen then modify/change add the dominant white, the image will change to all white.

I just got a rooster that came from a Rhode Island Red Roo over a Dekalb White hen that is likely Silver Birchen S/- ER based. on her son's color pattern

the white mom also happened to be barred which she passed on to her male offspring. The seller where i got this roo from said all his male sibs are also barred.

It appears that with the white Birchen ER, the Red Mahogany can express but with the white Extended black E, the red mahogany is suppressed which is likely the case in your cross.

 

[Maiahr]

@Pinoy Angelfish I have the same rooster. I crossed RIR rooster over a White DeKalb hen and received the same barred rooster as the one on the pictures. Now, he is the only one that came in such color, siblings - this is interesting: white with black or red leaking - ONLY females; full red (same as the RIR rooster) - ONLY males; barred red and white (as on the picture) - ONLY males; red with white necklace and white tale - ONLY females (I have posted a picture somewhere above).

Well, we are going to be eating the barred rooster on Saturday...

 

[nicalandia]

@Pinoy Angelfish I have the same rooster. I crossed RIR rooster over a White DeKalb hen and received the same barred rooster as the one on the pictures. Now, he is the only one that came in such color, siblings - this is interesting: white with black or red leaking - ONLY females; full red (same as the RIR rooster) - ONLY males; barred red and white (as on the picture) - ONLY males; red with white necklace and white tale - ONLY females (I have posted a picture somewhere above).

Well, we are going to be eating the barred rooster on Saturday...

Sex linkage at work..