If you crossed a Barred Rock male with, say, a Black Sumatra Female, would the resulting barred chicks be male or female? Also, does anyone know how exactly Sex-Links work? Thanks for any help!
The females would be clones of the male, and barred. The males would be a combination of both, most likely barred, but with less definition. Breeding the offspring hens with the Barred Rock rooster may help seperate the barring a little.
Thank you very much for that information! are you saying the females would have no Sumatra "type"?
Yes I am. All fertilized eggs contain the roosters genes. Before a hen lays an egg she either gives it her genes or she doesn't. It will still be fertile with only the roosters sperm. If she gives it her genes the offspring is male, and a combination of both chickens. She can withhold passing her genes to an egg the rooster has fertilized, and the result will be a pullet. This pullet is a clone of the rooster because the hen has not contributed her genes.
I'm sorry, in my original message I ment if you cross the offspring roosters with a barred rock hen (either his sisters since they would be clones of the BR,or a different one) this should make the barring more defined. Again more in the males because the females will be clones, and still lood like their dad.
I have a question: You're saying that if you mate a male of one breed to a female of another breed, the offspring will be more like the male? If that's true then if an Aracauna rooster was mated to a female, say, Rock (white) would the babies lay green eggs?
Birdface,this stuff is not so simple. Green egg laying is a "dominant" genetic characteristic, so yes, the offspring in question would lay green eggs. This is a whole different issue than the Sex-Link question.
heather,
Sorry,Mike. Haven't found a fun book on poulty genetics, just the basics of sex-link chicken genetics. That's in a number of chicken books but the one I had handy (because I own it and didn't borrow it) is Gail Damerow's book "A Guide to Raising Chickens". It's not too technical, but it doesn't go very far either! What is your stuffy book called? I'd like to wade through it. Genetics is so fascinating. Nothing happened for so long after Mendel and his peas and then voila --a whole new frontier in science! The folks at MSU have a chicken genome mapping project that I believe is ongoing. I'm not sure what the completion of this task will mean to the average person or the average chicken owner, if there is such a person!!! Please give the name of the book you have. Thanks, Heather
Heather,
Mike, Worry Not! You could have heard my heart hit the floor when I read those prices. I won't say I can't afford it, but I sure can't justify the expense at this time. When I want something just for funsies and it costs more than 100$ I have to want it for awhile before I convince myself that it's worth it. My Grandma says its the Scottish(Scots) in me! Darn. It's just the sort of thing the library-loan system would come up empty on I'm sure. Thanks anyway. Now I know there is some cool stuff out there, easy to find, when I'm ready for it. Heather
By Robeng on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 07:16 am:
By Birdface on Sunday, March 26, 2000 - 03:40 pm:
By Robeng on Monday, March 27, 2000 - 08:37 am:
hope this helps
Rob
By Robeng on Monday, March 27, 2000 - 02:13 pm:
By Christie on Monday, March 27, 2000 - 04:30 pm:
By Hewise on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 - 08:21 am:
Matings of any animal do not produce "clones", that is, EXACT copies of a parent. Each generation receives genetic information from both parents.
Chomosomes can be thought of as blocks of MANY genes. Genes determine what traits a creature starts out with. The gene that determines the sex of the chick is on the sex chromosome. In humans the chomosomes match up one to one. One from Dad one from Mom. Females can give only one type ,call it "X" males can give two types, call them "X" and "Y". So babies getting one sex chromosome from Dad and one from Mom will be "XX" or "XY". The "XX" are girls, the "XY" are boys.
In chickens, the chromosomes match up one to one, one from the rooster and one from the hen EXCEPT for the sex chromosome. In chickens the roosters have two sex chromosomes ("XX")but the hens have only one (X_). So in a batch of chicks the the chicks always get one sex chromosome from their dad but only about half the chicks will get a sex chromosome from their Mom. That's how come strait run chicks are about half boys and half girls. Now, here is the cool part. Remember that each chomosome has many genes on it. The sex chromosome has the sex gene AND IT HAS OTHER GENES FOR OTHER TRAITS TOO!! These traits are known as SEX-LINKED. Some of the traits whose genes are found on the sex chromosome are : some types of coloring, albinism, dwarfism,nakedness,barring, and late feathering. That's how come Sex-Link chicks can be told apart,boy from girl,right at hatch. The boys have color genes from both parents, and the girls have color genes only from their dad. Remember? Hens only have ONE sex chromosome. Hope this helps. There are books that explain the genetics of Sex-Link chickens, and you should consider buying or borrowing one, since you seem so interested in it! Heather
By Shrimpermike on Wednesday, March 29, 2000 - 04:49 am:
i would really like the name of the book you mentioned about genetics of fowl.
I found one here but fear its to be to technicall.
thanks
By Hewise on Wednesday, March 29, 2000 - 06:51 am:
By Shrimpermike on Sunday, April 2, 2000 - 05:20 am:
The book im thinking about is Poultry Breeding And Genetics by R D Crawford from Amazon.com @$215 and another i cant/wont share with you.LOL there is only one left and im between checks.......I found others like the one above for about 100 but cant remember where,
If i get it i will share it with you if possible tho...
Thanks and dont think to bad of me!!!!! Its survival of the quickest in this hi teck age!
Thanks,
Mike
By Hewise on Sunday, April 2, 2000 - 09:08 pm: