Why are all of my chicks hatching white!?

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

I have an ideal 236 rooster that likes to breed my buff orpington, barred rock, and RIR hen's but for some reason every single chick that comes from them is completely white!! I don't mind but I like color variation in my flock and I'm just wondering how, genetically, coloration of chicks works?


Also thought I might mention that the chicks are spotted upon hatching but turn white as they get older. Out of nearly 25 chicks I've hatched from him over the years only one of them had any color alteration but she's only got slightly orange tinted eyebrows (kind of funny how she looks angry RIR x 236)

 

[MGG]

I have an ideal 236 rooster that likes to breed my buff orpington, barred rock, and RIR hen's but for some reason every single chick that comes from them is completely white!! I don't mind but I like color variation in my flock and I'm just wondering how, genetically, coloration of chicks works?


Also thought I might mention that the chicks are spotted upon hatching but turn white as they get older. Out of nearly 25 chicks I've hatched from him over the years only one of them had any color alteration but she's only got slightly orange tinted eyebrows (kind of funny how she looks angry RIR x 236)

Can you post pics of the parents and the chicks?

 

[Amer]

Ideal 236s are dominant white which would cover the black, and it sounds like they might also be silver based which would cover the red.

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Can you post pics of the parents and the chicks?

First image: The roo and his daughter
2: the roo with three of my girls (the main 3 mothers)
3: This latest batch of chicks
4: The RIR hen/mother of the hen in the first picture

 

[troyer]

I don't know all of the color genes that the Leghorn rooster carries, but based on what you are saying is happening there is something definite going on. The reason is because the rooster is homozygous dominant white. That means that all the chicks will be white with colored specks in the first generation. If you would breed one of those white rooster offspring to any of the colored hens, statistically half of the chicks should be white with colored specks the same as you are getting now and half of the chicks should be colored. This is a basic explanation of genetics with what you have going on.

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

I don't know all of the color genes that the Leghorn rooster carries, but based on what you are saying is happening there is something definite going on. The reason is because the rooster is homozygous dominant white. That means that all the chicks will be white with colored specks in the first generation. If you would breed one of those white rooster offspring to any of the colored hens, statistically half of the chicks should be white with colored specks the same as you are getting now and half of the chicks should be colored. This is a basic explanation of genetics with what you have going on.

Wow! So if I wanted some different colored chicks I would have get another roo?

 

[troyer]

Wow! So if I wanted some different colored chicks I would have get another roo?

If you don't have any other roosters, yes. If you have a rooster out of the leghorn that you already have, you can breed him to those hens and get other colors.

 

[McChooky]

Wow! So if I wanted some different colored chicks I would have get another roo?

Hopefully your recent batch of chicks has a cockerel you can keep? Your rooster would accept one of them in the flock better than a rooster that's not related. (they'd fight)

 

[NatJ]

I have an ideal 236 rooster...I'm just wondering how, genetically, coloration of chicks works?

If you want to study the genetics of chicken colors, you could start here:
http://kippenjungle.nl/sellers/page0.html
There's a link to page 1 (genetics in general), page 2 (discussion about some chicken genetics), and page 3 (a table of genes, which is most useful after you understand the basics of how genes work.)

(Note: chicken genetics are complicated. That means some people find them a fascinating puzzle, and other people find them annoying and frustrating.)

For your particular rooster, there are two main genes involved.

He's got the dominant gene E that makes a chicken black all over. There are several recessive genes that allow shades of red in various arrangements on the chicken, but E is dominant over them.

He also has the Dominant White gene, that turns black into white. It affects all black on the chicken. (On an all-red chicken, it would have no effect. A red-and-black chicken would become red-and-white. But because these chicks get the all-black E gene, they all look white.)

Your Barred Rock hen is passing the gene for white barring to all of her sons, but of course you don't see the white barring on a white chicken

As @troyer said, you could use one of his sons with your current hens and get more colors. I would suggest a son from one of the red or gold mothers, not from the Barred Rock, to get the widest variety of colors.

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

If you want to study the genetics of chicken colors, you could start here:
http://kippenjungle.nl/sellers/page0.html
There's a link to page 1 (genetics in general), page 2 (discussion about some chicken genetics), and page 3 (a table of genes, which is most useful after you understand the basics of how genes work.)

(Note: chicken genetics are complicated. That means some people find them a fascinating puzzle, and other people find them annoying and frustrating.)

For your particular rooster, there are two main genes involved.

He's got the dominant gene E that makes a chicken black all over. There are several recessive genes that allow shades of red in various arrangements on the chicken, but E is dominant over them.

He also has the Dominant White gene, that turns black into white. It affects all black on the chicken. (On an all-red chicken, it would have no effect. A red-and-black chicken would become red-and-white. But because these chicks get the all-black E gene, they all look white.)

Your Barred Rock hen is passing the gene for white barring to all of her sons, but of course you don't see the white barring on a white chicken

As @troyer said, you could use one of his sons with your current hens and get more colors. I would suggest a son from one of the red or gold mothers, not from the Barred Rock, to get the widest variety of colors.

Awesome!! I've got a broody hatching some chicks right now so if one ends up as a cockrell I'll put the old boy to retirement and keep his son with my main flock!! What are the chances of the Son carrying the barring Gene of his barred Rock mother?