Sex-Link breeding help...

[Pyxis]

Genetics can be pretty crazy! Yeah, vent sexing is tough. So if you're going for easy to sex females I would either keep a flock of rhode island whites with a rhode island red rooster, a flock of barred rocks with a rooster of your choice that isn't white or barred, or a flock of autosexing birds. Atually for fun you could keep a flock or rhode island white hens and barred rock hens with a rhode island red rooster and you could provide both red and black sex links.

 

[702marine]

So Rhode Island whites are auto sexing?

 

[Pyxis]

No, they're used to make red sex links when under a rhode island red male. You can also put them under some other breeds to get the same result, but putting them under a rhode island red is the most common cross.

 

[702marine]

Awesome great information...

 

[keesmom]

This thread is very helpful if you want to learn about creating sex links.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

 

[702marine]

I found that last night. Thank you.

 

[popsicle]

I think playing with the chicken calculator helps massively with learning the basics of color genetics.

You can put in your barred hens and see what happens when you cross various colors with them. You can also create the cross your sex-linked eggs are from (red? black?) and select "continue with this male" or use the ISA Brown to see what happens when you cross a sex-link to your barred hen.

 

[donrae]

From the sex link thread, it says a red sex link male may be used as the rooster in a black sex link cross, but it's iffy genetically.

Sex links are different than auto sexing. Sex links are a one time cross, auto sexing breeds breed true. You can use an autosexing (based of barring) hen for black sex link cross, I believe. I have Rhodebar and cream Legbar pullets I'm going to put under my splash Ameraucana and see how that goes.