Sex- linked Information

[dheltzel]

Instead of barring, can penciling be used? For example, this last time I use my barred rock hens with my Welsummer roos, and got the identifiable white spot on the male offspring. Solid black female. Soon, I will be getting two penciled rock pullets. When bred to the same Welsummer roos, will they produce sex links?

No, it must be sex linked barring to get black sexlinks, penciling might look similar but it is totally different and not sex linked.

 

[SidChick]

No, it must be sex linked barring to get black sexlinks, penciling might look similar but it is totally different and not sex linked.

I was assuming this, but wanted to hear for sure. In all reality, I'm probably getting a penciled roo for the new girls anyway. It's all just very interesting.

 

[SidChick]

Is lavender its own gene, or is it blue or silver gene?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Lavender is a specific gene, different from the Blue gene and it acts differently. Lavender is a recessive gene and modifies black. Since it is recessive it has to pair up at that DNA position, otherwise it has no effect. Unless the feathers are normally black, you can’t see any effect. In other words, it does not affect red or white or any other colors of feathers, just black.

 

[junebuggena]

Lavender is a specific gene, different from the Blue gene and it acts differently. Lavender is a recessive gene and modifies black. Since it is recessive it has to pair up at that DNA position, otherwise it has no effect. Unless the feathers are normally black, you can’t see any effect. In other words, it does not affect red or white or any other colors of feathers, just black.

Actually, the Lavender gene does not just affect black pigment. It also dilutes red/gold base color. Just look at Isabella Leghorns. They are Brown Leghorns with the Lavender gene.

 

[SidChick]

Next question. My white polish hens were bred with my Welsummer rooster. Why are the chicks blue (or grey)? One is almost almost black..Super dark, and the other light. I didn't expect white, but why not brown?

 

[junebuggena]

Next question. My white polish hens were bred with my Welsummer rooster. Why are the chicks blue (or grey)? One is almost almost black..Super dark, and the other light. I didn't expect white, but why not brown?

Your Polish might be recessive white, or it might be carrying a gene for Blue. Solid white birds are not actually white. They are genetically extended black, with either dominant or recessive white modifying the black pigment. Extended black is the most dominant pattern gene. The Welsummer partridge is one of the most recessive patterns.

 

[strangeanimal]

You confused me when you mentioned black sex link. Black sex linked is tied to barring. With black sex links the males have a spot on their head, the females do not. It is not a case of males white and females black. Neither Light Sussex nor Black Copper Marans have barring, so black sex link is not a part of this conversation.

Red sex links are probably what you are thinking about. If the hen has silver and the male has gold, you can get red sex links. The males are born with white down and the females with reddish down. The Light Sussex hen has silver and the Black Copper Marans has gold, but there is a problem. All the chicks are going to be hatched with almost all black down. It’s possible there might be a small spot on the throat where you can see the difference in down color, but it may not be large enough to actually see. If you have some of each to compare side by side you might be able to see it, but you might not.

Black Copper Marans are based on Birchen and Birchen is not a good choice for red sex links.

hi thanks for your post ! This is really confusing to me as well , I believed a black marans is a black sex link but isn't , yet I do ask myself why the chicks would have silver actually and black down , didn't even knew about the birchen !!!! been looking online for the sex links and genetics etc but it is not really clear to me actually , info on google and other searchmachines is not much for ' beginning to understand ' all of this ... I'd actually like to have chicks that will become like grey silver chickens or with that copper but that is so not going to happen when they hatch with a marans i guess . well he is my only roo now , any idea what kind of hen I could use if I want him to be a good match ?? I have no idea at all ! I don't even know why the chicks would be reddish , odd stuff lol

 

[junebuggena]

hi thanks for your post ! This is really confusing to me as well , I believed a black marans is a black sex link but isn't , yet I do ask myself why the chicks would have silver actually and black down , didn't even knew about the birchen !!!! been looking online for the sex links and genetics etc but it is not really clear to me actually , info on google and other searchmachines is not much for ' beginning to understand ' all of this ... I'd actually like to have chicks that will become like grey silver chickens or with that copper but that is so not going to happen when they hatch with a marans i guess . well he is my only roo now , any idea what kind of hen I could use if I want him to be a good match ?? I have no idea at all ! I don't even know why the chicks would be reddish , odd stuff lol

Read the very first post of this thread. All of the info that you need is there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Lavender is a specific gene, different from the Blue gene and it acts differently. Lavender is a recessive gene and modifies black. Since it is recessive it has to pair up at that DNA position, otherwise it has no effect. Unless the feathers are normally black, you can’t see any effect. In other words, it does not affect red or white or any other colors of feathers, just black.

Actually, the Lavender gene does not just affect black pigment. It also dilutes red/gold base color. Just look at Isabella Leghorns. They are Brown Leghorns with the Lavender gene.

Thanks, that’s counter to a lot of what I read on here, I keep seeing that Lavender is a modifier of black. But I also know that there is an exception to practically anything. Since you mention Brown and Iabella Leghorns, is there a need for another specific gene to be in the mix other than gold for Lavender to affect gold?