Can you make a black sex link using a delaware hen?

[Floof]

My title pretty much says it all. I have barred rocks and a delaware running with my lavendar ameraucana. I've been separating out the delaware eggs for eating and setting the barred rock eggs for sex linked hatching. I know the delaware can be used to make red sex links because of the silver gene but can they also be used to make black sex links because of the barring gene? I tried it on the chicken calculator and kept getting both male and female black but I also don't completely know how to use that website... has anyone tried this with success?

 

[SpotTheCat]

My title pretty much says it all. I have barred rocks and a delaware running with my lavendar ameraucana. I've been separating out the delaware eggs for eating and setting the barred rock eggs for sex linked hatching. I know the delaware can be used to make red sex links because of the silver gene but can they also be used to make black sex links because of the barring gene? I tried it on the chicken calculator and kept getting both male and female black but I also don't completely know how to use that website... has anyone tried this with success?

If the female is barred and the male is not barred they will make sex-linked chicks, no matter what breed or mix. Some colours will make it harder to see the head spot or barring

 

[Floof]

If the female is barred and the male is not barred they will make sex-linked chicks, no matter what breed or mix. Some colours will make it harder to see the head spot or barring

Very cool
I'm going to have to try it out. Like I needed one more reason to incubate more eggs lol!

 

[Aapomp831]

With Delaware hens you would need a New Hampshire Red or a Rhode Island Red to make a red sex link. I don’t think you can get sex linked chickens with that combo…. Will need some genetics experts on this one

 

[Floof]

With Delaware hens you would need a New Hampshire Red or a Rhode Island Red to make a red sex link. I don’t think you can get sex linked chickens with that combo…. Will need some genetics experts on this one

So the reason delawares work in the red sex link cross is because they have the silver gene, which they pass to their sons when bred to a RIR the girls get a dose of red from the father and no silver from the mother. My thought is that the delawares also carry barring so should work in a black sex linked cross. The thing is, I've never heard anyone talking about this cross and it's not on any of the charts so is there something I'm missing that the experts know more about than my cursory genetics knowledge?

 

[poultryprofessor]

Yes! You can use Delaware hens to create a Black Sex-Link. We tested this last fall with a Black Jersey Giant rooster and Delaware hens because I had the same thought.

Offspring at hatch

Male vs female offspring at ~5 weeks

Female offspring at ~5 weeks

Male offspring at ~4 months

Female offspring at ~6 months

 

[Aapomp831]

So the reason delawares work in the red sex link cross is because they have the silver gene, which they pass to their sons when bred to a RIR the girls get a dose of red from the father and no silver from the mother. My thought is that the delawares also carry barring so should work in a black sex linked cross. The thing is, I've never heard anyone talking about this cross and it's not on any of the charts so is there something I'm missing that the experts know more about than my cursory genetics knowledge?

I’m curious as well! I had a botched sex link experience… Bred my leghorns with my RIR roo and didn’t get RSLs bc my leghorns didn’t have the right silver gene? I’m so eager to learn about this… following

 

[Floof]

Yes! You can use Delaware hens to create a Black Sex-Link. We tested this last fall with a Black Jersey Giant rooster and Delaware hens because I had the same thought.


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Offspring at hatch
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Male vs female offspring at ~5 weeks
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Female offspring at ~5 weeks
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Male offspring at ~4 months
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Female offspring at ~6 months
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Wow those are super pretty! Where did the red on their breast come from? I would be crossing them with a lavendar ameraucana rooster so probably wouldn't get nearly such spectacular plumage on my hens.

 

[Floof]

I did try out the cross and my pullet is black with very minimal white pencilling on her breast and eyebrows

.

 

[Floof]

These were the boys from the ameraucana delaware cross. They had really messy barring and very prominent white eyebrows. They were also sort of bitey but were delicious at ~7months old.