sexlink dilemma (who's who and what's what?)

[Newbean]

I need some help.

I've been trying to breed my own sexlinks and I've run into a hiccup.

I've been successful with Black sexlinks and was trying for golden sexlinks and cinnamon queens (or whatever they're called).

The birds - I've got a RIR rooster and RI whites and Silver laced wyandottes.

All the research I've done (now I'm thinking it wasn't thorough enough) said that when you pair either of these hens with a RIR rooster, the male at birth will be white and the female will be buff or red.

You can imagine my surprise when the result was this.

I have to admit to not knowing if these hens are pure. If it helps, they did come from hatcheries. I was hoping that they would be pure enough genetically for this to work. (yes, I know that the only way to get pure birds is from a breeder. I'm just a backyard hobbyist with limited funds).

I had an incubator full of black sexlink and the 2 combinations I described above.

The result was the picture above and a ton of black birds and also black birds with white dots on their heads. I only include this info on the off chance that some of these could be the resulting cross of the hens above.



so which is the wyandotte cross and which is the RI white cross?

Even MORE important. Which are the male and which are the female?

Have I confused you enough?

 

[Eastins Eggs]

Most hatchery's that breed for sex links have parent stock that they know the bloodline of several generations back. The chicks that you got from the hatchery are probably not of a good enough blood line to be used for sex link breeding.

 

[ruralmom]

I too am interested in developing my own sexlinks. I currently have 30 or so Golden Comet and like their temperment, egg production, and hardyness in winters. I was under the impression that RIR roos and White Rock hens = golden comets and RIR roos and White leghorn hens= red star. I could and probable am wrong. I realize the 'purity' of the parents may alter the results. What would I get if I have the RIR hens and the different roos?
ie: White rock roo + RIR hen = ? and White leghorn Roo + RIR hen=? I have a Brown leghorn roo I am thinking about using with the RIR hens and shake it up a bit. I am just interested in a layed back, healthy egg layer and in turn will live her life out at our ranch like a queen.

 

[tadkerson]

number one chick on the left male

number two chick female

number three chick male

number four chick female

The two chicks in the middle are from the rhode island white cross.

The two outside chicks are from the wyandotte cross.

I do not see anything wrong with the down of the chicks from the crosses. The chicks look like what they should look like. The males are silver and the females are gold.

Ruralmom,

You can not use a leghorn to do a red sexlinked cross. The white rock can work but I would not count on it. If you want to do sex linked crosses, get some delaware, salmon favoralle , light sussex or rhode island white to cross with the rhode island red.

You must use a rhode island red( a gold male) male , you can not use a male white leghorn or a male white rock to produce a sex linked chick.

Tim

 

[CelticMoon1]

Quote:
Agreed. They seem to follow the rules easily enough. I guess what threw you was the patterned down of the wyandotte crosses huh?

 

[dadof4]

I use a RIR roo over a SLW hen as well. My roos look like the one on the left and my pullets look like the one next to it. The combs are spuratic though.

 

[ruralmom]

Thank you Tim for the info. I would have tried and been disappointed. My goal in crossing is to keep the most positive atributes of each breed. What would be your suggestion for a cold hardy, heavy layer, friendly, easy keeper that is not broody? I have never had a roo, and I do not know if I really want one. I am new to BYC and appears that I could get that cross I would like without the roo, from the auctions. The Rocky Mountains are kind of thin on chicken, unlike the midwest, holly cow, there is alot of you. My family and I do enjoy the incubation and hatching and always have buyers for the roos but finding incubation challenging, and kids have a hard time coping with the ones that do not hatch. Actually, I do. Sex link is not my primary concern, it is just that I am very pleased with Golden comets and my Black stars. I have access to a SLW , White Leghorn, Brown Leghorn roos, what hen would be a good cross? Are 'purebreed' standard breeds better? Would appreciate your opinion?

 

[Krys109uk]

What would be your suggestion for a cold hardy, heavy layer, friendly, easy keeper that is not broody?

A rosecomb leghorn might fit most of those requirements other than being friendly. I currently live in the frozen wilds of Minnesota &, interestingly, the busy SC white leghorn layers fared better than the Orpintons last winter.​

 

[ruralmom]

When you mean not friendly are you saying flighty or fighty? I did have Buff Orpingtons once and they ate me out of house and home and were not the best layers. I think they did ok in the winter. Our winters are similar to yours. We live at 6800ft and can get very windly, snowy and quite brutal. I have 30 + RIR, Golden Comet, Black Star pullets and some 3-4 yr old Comets as well as some seniors of the same breeds. Good match with the leghorns? What about Austrolorps? Thanks you. Opinions welcome!