Sex- linked Information

[LAFreewayChickens]

The hazy half moon shaped lighter area below the spot (on the neck) indicates male. A female would only have one central spot without any lighter coloration around it. If you can visualize it as a black spot with a donut of lighter color around it that may be broken up by areas of black, then it is male.

 

[aoxa]

 

The hazy half moon shaped lighter area below the spot (on the neck) indicates male. A female would only have one central spot without any lighter coloration around it. If you can visualize it as a black spot with a donut of lighter color around it that may be broken up by areas of black, then it is male.

Well I'll be darned! I'll remember that

Usually my BR boys have a bigger head spot, but I've had girls that do as well.

 

[LAFreewayChickens]

Well I'll be darned! I'll remember that

Usually my BR boys have a bigger head spot, but I've had girls that do as well.

Here's the page with the photos of male head spots from the 1941 Canadian book. You have to read the text to get all the details. They do show a female that looks very like the donut shape (with some explanation as to why it is female), but as a rule of thumb it indicates male. The book is a fun read, especially all the test pages at the end where you can test your skill.

In addition to the link I posted earlier it is available here:
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL25216147M/Sight_sexing_barred_rock_baby_chicks


(BTW, the book and thus the page image is in the public domain).

 

[Arielle]

Quote: This reminds me of the first purchase of chicks from McMurray-- 2 of the 5 black sexlink chicks had head spots. As I was new to chickens this had me confused! Grew up to be boys.

 

[tadkerson]

Delaware are sex link barred. A hen will give a copy of the barred gene to her sons and not to her daughters. A Barred Rock rooster over a delaware hen will produce roosters that are BB and pullets that are B-. They will also be split for Columbia. I have not done that cross. I don't know what effect Columbia might have on the down. If you can see the spot, and you probably can, the males should have a larger spot than the females.
Arielle, thanks for that on the blue chicks. I'll try to remember this time.

Columbian will not alter the down color of the heterozygous E*E/E*Wh chick. The dark brown gene ( Db*Db) can- it produces a brown face on black or dark brown down.

Tim

 

[Ridgerunner]

Columbian will not alter the down color of the heterozygous E*E/E*Wh chick. The dark brown gene ( Db*Db) can- it produces a brown face on black or dark brown down.

Tim

I appreciate your response Tim. I've wondered about that.

Do you have a list of which genes can cause problems with seeing the spot, or is that list so big or so dependent on what else is there that such a list is impractical?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sorry! Double post.

 

[catdaddyfro]

I know that by crossing a Black Orpington over a Delaware that I will get all barred chicks with the males having a white spot on their head. But what will I get when crossing these females with a Barred Rock? I'm referring to the single bar vs. double bar gene thing. Will I be able to tell the difference between the single/double barring? Will it even work or will I just get black chicks?

I read it as OP wanted to know the outcome of crossing a BR male over the F1 sex-link pullets from the Blk Orp x BR cross hence the last ? was(see in bold print) IDK. I didn't figure they would think that they'd get any black chicks from a BRx Delaware cross. I guess I got to quit ASSuMeeing so much on this site. you (I) can sure get into so tight spots on here LOL

Oh well ya'll gurus are here to line things out I reckon, LOL

 

[Ridgerunner]

Don't feel bad. You may have gotten it right. I had trouble understanding that one too and I'm still not sure I got it 100% right. ASSuming can get us into trouble. Often I fail but that's why I try to explain the way I see the question. My self-discipline is not always what I want it to be.

 

[Noncentzter]

Sorry for the confusion!

If I take the chicks from the first mating and want to create my own barred chickens, what do I do?