Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[okallthis4eggs]

Sexlinks are the reason I was keeping my "oops" rooster from the hatchery. When a local woman came to get the White Rock rooster I didn't want, I told her to go ahead and take the RIR. I have two other LF roosters that are not hatchery stock. Score one for them. The BCM is a great husband. Score 2 for him. The other is an EE carrying the blue gene. His score 2. The RIR was on the bottom of the totem pole.
Anyway, I was sorry for his fate, but decided if I wanted sexlinks in the future, roosters are still literally a dime a dozen.
Cheeka, interesting story. I hope you do get a better egg count now. Of 29 females, I only got three eggs today. That may be my fault. We had quite a morning! They may have been traumatized!
OK, I get a lot of speckled eggs too. But not on a regular basis. I can get them from the Golden Buffs and the BCM.
Question. Actually, two questions. First, isn't it always the father's gene that determines egg color? I would like to hatch my Leghorn's eggs. I have never candled a white egg, and the idea of the chick being so easy to see is exciting. Then there is the fact that as I said above, the fathers are an EE and a BCM. So I would know the father at birth. Then the body shape/size will be interesting to see.
Second question. I am (as many others seem to be) thinking I am going to raise a turkey next year. I believe breeders are best for chickens.. When it comes to turkeys, I think a hatchery is just fine. You can specify male/female, and have a better chance of getting the right sex (with a male averaging 33#, and a female, 18# I want a male!) and it is only going to live for six months.
Do you guys think breeder is still a better choice for meat birds?

Quick answer I have to get to work. The genes of the father and mother determine how each sex bird will look but not the egg color in sex links. That's how you can sex them when they are born. Example a RIR roo crossed with a BR hen will produce mostly white rooster chicks and almost black hen chicks. It is obvious when they are hatched what sex you have. The color determines the sex. I am no way a expert. There are threads here that have taught me and I am just learning. Producing sex linked chicks was attractive to me because I was impressed with the egg production of the Red Sex Links/ aka Golden Comets . I don't think Leghorns can be used to produce Sex Link birds. There may be a exception but I have not found it yet. Search "Sex Link Combinations" here on BYC and they have a chart of the combinations and what they will produce

 

[cheeka]

I took 17 pics this morning, all of them blurry. ridiculous.

this little hen is so sweet and trusting, she ate that handful of seeds no problem...
for this rooster, she must have thought I was stupid or something... calling it a hen... he crows. loud. but he's handsome and kept rounding the girls up to keep them away from me, so he's a good protector... the little white hen was not listening tho', she wanted those seeds...

the best shot I got of all 6. the one with the blurriest head is the other roo. and I know that the reddish girls all look alike in this pic, but the one next to the white roo is significantly lighter.

oh well... terrible pics and I have to get a'goin'. I do not want to go to work today.

 

[chickenlindz]

Nice looking additions Cheeka! You'll have to update your chicken count again!

 

[chickenlindz]

And now you guys have me wanting to try sex links....

 

[okallthis4eggs]

I took 17 pics this morning, all of them blurry. ridiculous. this little hen is so sweet and trusting, she ate that handful of seeds no problem... for this rooster, she must have thought I was stupid or something... calling it a hen... he crows. loud. but he's handsome and kept rounding the girls up to keep them away from me, so he's a good protector... the little white hen was not listening tho', she wanted those seeds... the best shot I got of all 6. the one with the blurriest head is the other roo. and I know that the reddish girls all look alike in this pic, but the one next to the white roo is significantly lighter. oh well... terrible pics and I have to get a'goin'. I do not want to go to work today.:/

Rooster looks like a Delaware

 

[BullChick]

OK, I understand sex links. The father gene was about my LH girls' babies. There are 2 roosters. One carries the blue gene, one carries the chocolate. Will the babies have any chance of laying white eggs was what I cannot remember, and was asking.
Cheeka, I am guessing the white girl is a White Rock. I have 4 LH and 3 White Rock pullets. Only one WR is really big and fluffy (meaty!

) and the rest blend in with the Leghorns. Even their combs aren't helping me. One Leghorn's comb doesn't flop over.
I am surrounded by people that "raised" chickens in their youth. They still don't believe me that no rooster is needed, and that girls have combs. I understand not knowing that chickens can lay different colored eggs if you only had one breed. The comb thing is the funniest to me. But not knowing a rooster ... IDK, I think that is talent.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

OK, I understand sex links. The father gene was about my LH girls' babies. There are 2 roosters. One carries the blue gene, one carries the chocolate. Will the babies have any chance of laying white eggs was what I cannot remember, and was asking.
Cheeka, I am guessing the white girl is a White Rock. I have 4 LH and 3 White Rock pullets. Only one WR is really big and fluffy (meaty!

) and the rest blend in with the Leghorns. Even their combs aren't helping me. One Leghorn's comb doesn't flop over.
I am surrounded by people that "raised" chickens in their youth. They still don't believe me that no rooster is needed, and that girls have combs. I understand not knowing that chickens can lay different colored eggs if you only had one breed. The comb thing is the funniest to me. But not knowing a rooster ... IDK, I think that is talent.

About the egg color, I think of a white egg as being recessive, where both genes for the shell color must be white and there can be no brown pigment genes present (even a little bit and you get cream colored eggs). It's doubtful that your chocolate carrier will father any white layers. There's a chance for the EE if he has only one blue gene and he has no genes for brown pigment, in which case half of his daughters will lay white and half very pale blue. I think it's more complex than this, but I'm sure both parents contribute to egg color (like how OEs are produced).

I also thought Cheeka's new white pullet could be white rock. Are they as crazy as the BRs??

They still lay brown eggs, don't they?
The rooster looks Delaware or maybe a sexlink.

I don't know anything about hatchery vs breeder turkeys, but I bet jchny would know.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Janet!

Where are you? Hope everything is going well with your parents.

Say hi when you have a chance.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote:
Haha! You know the RIR rooster over a BR hen will give you black sexlinks too. Too bad she won't lay any eggs for you, though.

Yes I knew that. My last hatch was Delaware's and BR's. That was my intention. I now have four Delaware hens and six BR hens. Well 5 1/2 BR hens.

and one RIR rooster

Well, you suckered me!

I thought the BR eggs were really a mistake on the breeder's part. That you got them on purpose means that you are either very brave or a little crazy. Maybe both?

 

[cheeka]

long long day. got a call from my cousin that was alarming. he sounded terrible, slurred speech, labored breathing. he refused to call an ambulance, so I went and got him, took him to the ER. he hadn't pooped for 3 weeks! he's been transported to the "big" hospital to the ICU. bowel obstruction and his kidneys have stopped functioning. they could not believe he was conscious and able to answer questions. he shouldn't even be alive.

so all this came about the minute I was finished with work and I've only just gotten home. I didn't get to check for eggs or visit with anyone or anything. he's got a passel full o' cats, I've got to squeeze in time to go up and feed them, I got a hold of a neighbor to take care of them for today... I'm sure they'll be willing to help me out with that... but I'll still go up and check on things.

I think y'all are on the mark, white rock hen, and perhaps the roo is Delaware, he's nice looking... I will get better pics tomorrow at breakfast.