Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[mixedbreeds]

Thinking back on it I was pretty sure the cuckoo Marans were not laying at the time but I did grab a couple of black copper Marans eggs that were from some older hens from a different stock I had. They would have also been fertilized by my Legbar rooster. Can you make a sexlink with that cross where the cockerels would be black with white barring? There are 2 chicks that are identical one of witch is the chick I call pauly.

 

[pennyJo1960]

hmmm let me do looking in my sex link papers have them on my desktop
Black Sex-linked

There are two important genes that must be a part of a black sex-linked cross; the E locus allele called extended black (E) and the sex-linked barring gene (B). The Barred Plymouth rock carries both E and B and both genes are used as the female side in commercial black sex linked crosses while the male side of the cross is a Rhode Island Red or a New Hampshire. Birchen birds at times can be used in black sex linked crosses. It is best to leave the use of birchen birds to individuals that have tested the birds for the correct genotype. If birchen birds do not have the correct genotype, the offspring will not be black sex linked.

A few specifics to remember about a black sex-linked cross are:

1) the female must carry sex-linked barring (barred),

2) the male cannot carry sex-linked barring (male cannot be barred),

3) one of the birds must be homozygous for extended black or carry two extended black genes and

4) neither of the birds can carry dominant white or in other words be a white bird. Some recessive white birds may work on the male side of the cross but you never know if it will work or not work. So I suggest not using white birds.

5). Almost any variety (color) of male (not including white or barred) can be used in a black sex linked cross. White birds sometimes carry dominant white and or barring which would not work in a black sex linked cross. White males that do not carry dominant white or barring will work as the male in a black sex linked cross. White males like the white wyandotte or the white plymouth rock will work if they do not carry dominant white or barring.

In a black sex-linked cross, the female will only contribute the barring gene to the male offspring. So the adult males will be black and barred. The female offspring will receive their sex linked trait from the father; in this case, the recessive gene for no barring. So the females will not be barred as adults.

It is also important that the chick down has a black dorsal surface, back and top of the head; this allows for the barring gene to be expressed as a white or cream spot on top of the male chicks head. See Illustration 5. This is why a white bird that carries dominant white cannot be used to produce black sex linked chicks. The top of the head would be white and the white spot will not show. Males that carry barring can not be used because the males will produce females chicks with white spots on their heads.

The top of a female chicks head will be a solid black color. See Illustration 6. The chicks in the pictures do not have a white belly like many other black sex linked chicks.

Illustration 5 male black sex-link Illustration 6 female black sex-link




Examples of breeds that can be used for black sex linked crosses.


1 Male carries the blue egg shell gene.
2 Not a good choice may carry barring.
3. Carry the genes for white egg shell.

Feather Sexing Chicks

Color sexing chicks can be a difficult task and is dependent upon the phenotype of the chick. If a chick does not have the correct down color, then you can not color sex the chick. There is a way of using another sex-linked trait to sex chicks based upon the size of the primary and secondary feathers on the wing of a newly hatched chick.

Feather sexing chicks can be accomplished by crossing males that are homozygous for rapid feather growth or carry two rapid feather growth alleles ( k+/k+) with females that are hemizygous or carry only one slow feather growth allele ( K/_W).

The female parent contributes a dominant gene for slow feather growth (K) to all the male offspring while the female offspring will inherit only one rapid feather growth allele ( k+) from the father. This cross produces males that have slow feather growth (K/k+) and females that have rapid feather growth (k+/_W).


The following site provides an excellent example of how to tell the difference between a rapid feathering female (pullet) chick and a slow feathering male (cockerel) chick. You have to examine the feathers on the wings of the newly hatched chick. Wait until the down dries and examine the wing feathers.

http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm


The table below contains some of the birds that can be crossed to produce chicks that can be feather sexed.

Any of the males in the table, can be crossed with any of the females in the table to produce offspring that can be feather sexed. If you purchased your birds from a hatchery, check with the hatchery to see if the hatchery feather sexed the birds you purchased. If your stock was feather sexed, then the chickens can not be used for feather sexing crosses.

 

[mixedbreeds]

I had to read that a few times might need to read it a few more thank you. On an unrelated note if I don’t stop eating Christmas ham I’m going to turn into a ham.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I had to read that a few times might need to read it a few more thank you. On an unrelated note if I don’t stop eating Christmas ham I’m going to turn into a ham.

I was sent that as a help easiest way very hard to explain

 

[Hinotori]

Good job penny. People don't generally understand the feather sexing.




In short, feather sexing only works by crossing a fast feathering breed with a slow feathering breed.

 

[pennyJo1960]

just happy I saved the Document .. We had our microwave go dead today lasted 4 years but we have the oven vent style looks like we can get a decent one from Amazon fairly reasonable

 

[mixedbreeds]

Wow I didn’t think those things ever died. I have a new one that came with the house 4 years ago but still have the one I bought 20 years ago and I use them a lot.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Funny part when we moved here had 2 others donated them both because the one here has the stove vent in it ours did not first looked to see if Sears surplus was still going does not seem so Amazon has them 1100 watt 30 with a hood vent 320.00 really cannot beat that with stick 1300 + Sears dent price

 

[mixedbreeds]

Happy New Year
The girl that layed this one gets a cookie.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Gee wonder why nice egg there