Total confusion

[daddy_roo]

I have black sex-link hens, 1 banty (looks like a blue Del, cross.) and 2 of the full size versions. and one what i thought was a white leghorn cross. I have no idea what the crosses are because the crosses We got from an amish guy that did not know exactly what they were. Since I have been doing my expiriment with black pepper, I have been getting 3 brown eggs, 1 cream colored one, and 1 white egg per day. we were getting one white egg about every other day even before the expiriment. I was certain that the white leghorn cross was laying the white egg. But today I was in the coop when she laid her egg, and with my own 2 eyes i watched her lay a brown egg! The del crosses are not of laying age so I was certain that she was the white egg layer. Now that all went out the window. Is it possible that cross she is crossed in a way that will make her lay both brown and white eggs? Or could the peppe do it? Im tottally confuzzled now. please help.

 

[StarLover21]

Hmm, intresting. It may be on of your Black Sex link hens. Did you hatch them yourselfs? Where did you get them? Black Sex links are technically mutts, just mutts that are sexlinked, and can be made lots of different ways, so some of them may have white egglaying genes in their ancestry. There is no way for a hen to change egg color (well, not completally, like Marans eggs get lighter throughout the season. But you can't change from white to brown. The pepper probably has no part in it).
Good luck!

 

[daddy_roo]

We got 5 of them from my wifes unchle who crossed the barred Rock and RIR hen. The rest of them, came from an amish guy, I do not know who they were mixed. But I imagine the same way.

 

[cmom]

Both Red and Black Sex-Links use a red male for the father. Either a Rhode Island Red or a New Hampshire may be used.

Black Sex-Links are produced using a Barred Rock as the mother. Both sexes hatch out black, but the males have a white dot on their heads. Pullets feather out black with some red in neck feathers. Males feather out with the Barred Rock pattern along with a few red feathers. Black Sex-Links are often referred to as Rock Reds.

Red Sex-Links are the result of various crosses. White Rocks with the silver factor (the dominant white gene would produce all white offspring) are crossed with a New Hampshire male to produce the Golden Comet. Silver Laced Wyandotte crossed with New Hampshire gives the Cinnamon Queen. Two other crosses are obtained with Rhode Island White x Rhode Island Red, and Delaware x Production Red or Rhode Island Red. These two crosses are simply called Red Sex-Links. Males hatch out white and, depending on the cross, feather out to pure white or with some black feathering. Females hatch out buff or red also depending on cross, and they feather out in one of three ways.

Buff with white or tinted undercolor (such as Golden Comet, Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island White)
Red with White or tinted undercolor (Cinnamon Queen)
Red with Red undercolor (Delaware x Production Red or Rhode Island Red) (In this color pattern it is almost impossible to distinguish daughters' color from father's color.)

http://www.small-farm-permaculture-and-sustainable-living.com/black_sex_link_chickens.html