Accidental Sexlink?

[sheepchase]

Cockerel? I'm afraid to know the answer. One of my barnyard mixes ran away and brought back 8 chicks. Picture of her included. Dad is buff orpington. I think they made sex links. 5 light and 3 brown. What do you think?

 

[AinaWGSD]

Yes. Assuming the mom is the hen in the bottom picture, you have red sexlinks. Silver is carried on the Z chromosome, so when you breed a gold rooster (your buff orp) to a silver (in this case silver laced) hen the male offspring will inherit the silver Z chromosomes from the hen and a gold Z chromosome from the rooster. Since silver is dominant, the male chicks will be silver (with gold leakage).

The female chicks will inherit the gold Z chromosome from the rooster and the W chromosome (that cannot carry silver) from the hen. Since neither chromosome can have the silver gene, the female chicks will be gold.

 

[sheepchase]

Yes. Assuming the mom is the hen in the bottom picture, you have red sexlinks. Silver is carried on the Z chromosome, so when you breed a gold rooster (your buff orp) to a silver (in this case silver laced) hen the male offspring will inherit the silver Z chromosomes from the hen and a gold Z chromosome from the rooster. Since silver is dominant, the male chicks will be silver (with gold leakage).

The female chicks will inherit the gold Z chromosome from the rooster and the W chromosome (that cannot carry silver) from the hen. Since neither chromosome can have the silver gene, the female chicks will be gold.

Thanks! I was afraid of that. Way too many roos, but cool on the science side.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

Thanks! I was afraid of that. Way too many roos, but cool on the science side.

Gorgeous birds you got

Also convenient if you know immediately which ones to not get too attached to >.>