Sex-Link Hybrids?

[MTchick]

I think this might help with the concepts... Male chickens are like female humans- you can think of both of them as having XX. Female chickens are like male humans, think of that like XY.

Now, when you mix the male RIR and the female BR, you are doing this...

X-RIR X-RIR mates with X-BR Y-BR

Still with me?

X-RIR X-BR = baby male sex link
X-RIR Y-BR= baby female sex link

OK. So those are the babies that do have sex link colors.

So then, we have the question of what if we swap parent types around?

X-BR X-BR mated with X-RIR Y-RIR

X-BR X-RIR= same as the male sex link, just in reverse order.
X-BR Y-RIR= not the same as the female sex link, therefore not a female sex link, that new, pesky X-BR is probably what is driving the barred color in the backwards cross female chicks that SpeckledHen talks about.

Any questions?

-MTchick

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

LOL! Thanks MTchick. Totally with ya! I think... would that put the barring on the X-BR gene? In the first example, only one chick rec'd that gene, therefore sex-linked. And since both chicks in your second example would rec. the X-BR gene (from Dad) they would both be barred?

Or am I just .. well.. confused once more?

 

[MTchick]

From here in my genetics lab (yeah right, in my kitchen!) I would guess that the X-BR would be the driver of the barred color. That doesn't mean that it necessarily MAKES the barred color, it just might somehow help, or allow, the barred color to show up on the feathers. Like a lightswitch doesn't light up the room, but you sure need it to turn on a light.

Genes are complicated and we are oversimplifying hugely. But I think that in the case of sex-link coloring, it is highly likely that the difference in XX and XY for chickens and breeds is driving the color differences according to sex.

Also, it doesn't matter to the chick where a gene comes from. But it does matter if it gets none, one or two. So when the X-BR comes from the dad, that doesn't matter persay- it matters that any X-BR at all made it into the chick. Just thought I'd clarify.

I feel smarter this morning than usual. Must be the coffee

-MTchick

 

[aran]

Im interested in this ( have a masters in genetics and molecular biology). Wonder what I will end up with from my lil flock of RIR and RIW and "production blacks" (whatever the heck that breed is!), cream brabanters, white standard cochins, silver spangled hamburgs and buff orps.

I will have a RIR rooster, a SS hamburg rooster and a Cream Brabanter rooster. ( and hopefully not too many "extra males for warmth" roosters from Ideal with the shipment coming in next friday!)

Does anyone happen to know what a production black is? I assume a production white is a RIW and a production red is a RIR.

 

[aran]

actually scrap that the production red is a RIWxNew Hampshire red.

The website says and RIW male x RIW female gives gold sex link chicks. I wonder what a Pro Red male x RIW female would give?
They say on the website that the production blacks are crosses of several breeds including the barred rocks and that they breed true. They are barred both boys and girls. We only have pullets. They are little buggars--> only 4lbs full grown apparently.


should make for some interesting mixes!