Sex-Link Questions

[SGM]

I've done some digging and looked online to try to verify what I think I already know but wanted to be sure.

I can only get sex-link chicks from crossing a gold/red base rooster to white base hens? So for example if I put my RIR rooster on my 3 Cuckoo Marans hens I would get black sex-link chicks? I'd love to have some sex-links, never had any before. So I figure why not breed my own rather than buy.

But its not possible to use the Cuckoo Marans roosters on the RIR hens for sex link chicks? They'd just be mixed up colors?

 

[ella]

You got it right.

A barred male will not give sexlinked offspring.

Have you seen this page?

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/1889/20865

There are a whole world off sex links that are not commonly put into production.

I noticed it with my EE when he bred with my light legged hens all his female chicks had dark legs, the males had light legs. Very cool!

 

[SGM]

No I hadn't seen that page. Thanks!!!

 

[Kev]

Quote:
You got it right. But there's some differences. The sex links sold by hatcheries are from stock bred for very high production & tested for 'good matches' for the best results in the crosses, which is why they are good layers. "Home-made" sex linked matings normally will not be any higher than the usual Marans hen in production.

The 'white base' comment above is a very good example of this- the hatcheries have created a line of white birds pure for various sex linked genes(usually Silver and Barring) and for high production/express purpose of being mated to create the high production "sex links". Those birds are white.. but white is not sex linked.. it's the Silver and Barred in these (white)birds.

The usual backyard white hen will not work for sex linked mating, unless she also happens to have silver and/or barred in her. Crossing a black silkie rooster with a white silkie hen will give you black chicks in both sexes..

CM x RIR hens= normally all will be black, with red leaking on neck and saddles plus weak barring over their entire bodies in both sexes.