Very confused about Black Star cross?

[Jetblack2004]

I need someone to set my mind straight about this. I'm really muddled up!

Where to start....?!

Firstly, I know that Black Rock and Black Star are the SAME hybrid. I have read that if you cross a Rhode Island Red cockerel with a Barred Rock hen it will produce SEX-LINKED chicks. But how do the chicks come out? Somewhere I read that the females are solid black while the males are black with white head-spots. But somewhere else I read that the females come out black WITH a rusty-colour on their chest. That place didn't say how the males come out. So what does the RIR x BR sex-link actually come out as?

Secondly, I don't quite understand what a Rhode Rock is. I ASSUME it is exactly the same as a Black Rock or a Black Star but with a different name. It makes sense because Rhode= Rhode Island and Rock = Barred Rock, if you see what I mean.

Thirdly, slightly off topic, are Barred Rock sex-linked? Some places people say yes, they are, they grow different coloured feathers (Males light grey, Females dark grey). But I've seen some people say, no, they aren't, they are just like any other breed. It would be useful if they were as I'm planning to get some next year!

Sorry if it's all rather complicated to read. I have a flock of RIR and I want to buy in some BR in 2018. If I cross them, they will come out sex-linked, but obviously I need to know what they are and what I'm talking about when I come to selling them!!

Thanks in advance!!

-Jet

 

[JedJackson]

Rhode rocks are just another name for black stars/black rocks. When you mate a male Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire male to a Barred Rock hen, the chicks come out sex linked. The females are black but may have rust or white coloring on the breast and/or face. The main thing is that the males will always have a white dot on the back of the head, so if a chick doesn't have this then it is a female.

As for sex link pure Barred Rocks, I am not sure although I imagine that experienced breeders of them can distinguish between males and females at an early age and I also imagine that chick color varies a little between different strains of Barred Rocks. I've never raised any of these birds but in Dominiques I could never tell male chicks from female chicks based on color or color pattern.

 

[JedJackson]

As an aside, you can also get sex linked chicks if you mate a Rhodie or New Hampshire male to a Delaware female. The female chicks will be reddish like Rhodie chicks and the males will be white like Delaware chicks. What we're dealing with here is color genetics. Both Delawares and Barred Rocks have the silver factor in their color genetics whereas Rhodies/New Hampshires have the gold factor. Mating a male with the gold factor to a female with the si;ver factor is how we get all sex linked varieties, as far as I know. It's the case with red sex links and black sex links.

 

[TattooedChicks]

As an aside, you can also get sex linked chicks if you mate a Rhodie or New Hampshire male to a Delaware female. The female chicks will be reddish like Rhodie chicks and the males will be white like Delaware chicks. What we're dealing with here is color genetics. Both Delawares and Barred Rocks have the silver factor in their color genetics whereas Rhodies/New Hampshires have the gold factor. Mating a male with the gold factor to a female with the si;ver factor is how we get all sex linked varieties, as far as I know. It's the case with red sex links and black sex links.

Slightly off the OPs original question, but it's the same with Sebrights too, right? Crossing a silver/golden over one another.

 

[JedJackson]

Slightly off the OPs original question, but it's the same with Sebrights too, right? Crossing a silver/golden over one another.

I'm not an expert but I think it would work in a similar way if you used a golden male over a silver female-- the female chicks would show black and rusty/brown coloring and the males would show black and yellow or white coloring.

 

[JedJackson]

Here's a great link with comments on Barred Rocks as an autosexing breed.
https://blog.cacklehatchery.com/whats-the-difference-between-sex-link-and-autosex-chickens/

 

[junebuggena]

I need someone to set my mind straight about this. I'm really muddled up!

Where to start....?!

Firstly, I know that Black Rock and Black Star are the SAME hybrid. I have read that if you cross a Rhode Island Red cockerel with a Barred Rock hen it will produce SEX-LINKED chicks. But how do the chicks come out? Somewhere I read that the females are solid black while the males are black with white head-spots. But somewhere else I read that the females come out black WITH a rusty-colour on their chest. That place didn't say how the males come out. So what does the RIR x BR sex-link actually come out as?
All black sexlinks come out pretty much the same, regardless of the parent breeds used. All you really need is a hen with the barring/cuckoo gene, and a rooster without barring and not solid white. Males will have a white spot on the back of the head, females will not. A barred/cuckoo hen can only pass that gene for barring/cuckoo to her male offspring. It's that white spot on the head that indicates the presence of the barring/cuckoo gene.
Secondly, I don't quite understand what a Rhode Rock is. I ASSUME it is exactly the same as a Black Rock or a Black Star but with a different name. It makes sense because Rhode= Rhode Island and Rock = Barred Rock, if you see what I mean.

Thirdly, slightly off topic, are Barred Rock sex-linked? Some places people say yes, they are, they grow different coloured feathers (Males light grey, Females dark grey). But I've seen some people say, no, they aren't, they are just like any other breed. It would be useful if they were as I'm planning to get some next year!
Barred Rocks are not sexlinked. And while very experienced breeders, that have been working with their lines for a while will be able to sight sex their chicks, it's not possible for most hatchery sourced chicks. As they feather in, they can be sexed by plumage, though. Males inherit two copies of the barring gene, and therefore, have twice the amount of white. Females can only inherit a single copy (always from their father), and thus, have thicker black bars.
Sorry if it's all rather complicated to read. I have a flock of RIR and I want to buy in some BR in 2018. If I cross them, they will come out sex-linked, but obviously I need to know what they are and what I'm talking about when I come to selling them!!

Thanks in advance!!

-Jet

Answers inside the quote.

 

[keesmom]

You may want to read the first post in this thread on sex links - red sex links, black sex links, feather sexable crosses, how they work and breeds you can use.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sex-linked-information.261208/

 

[drumstick diva]

x 2

 

[Jetblack2004]

Thank you all for the information! Its really useful and I finally understand it all

Just one more question: Which term would you say is most commonly used? Rhode Rock, Black Star, or Black Rock.

Thank you all!!

-Jet