I just hatched a batch of chicks that are Rhode Island red cock and White leghorn hen. I was hoping for red pullets and white roosters but what I have is a bunch of white,yellow,orange and black spotted chicks. If anyone knows how to sex chicks it would be a great help. Thanks Brian

-- Brian Iron Station NC (okonskis@juno.com), March 11, 2002

Answers

Brian, you did the cross right, that is, red cock on the white hen, but the problem probably is White Leghorns are white because of a dominate white gene, and this has passed down to the chicks. You will get quite a bit of white on the chicks with other colours showing through because of it. Your chicks actually ARE sex linked, you just can't see it very well. (An alternative answer might be that the Leghorn is not a silver gene carrier, but I've read that White Leghorns normally are so this is unlikely.) I'm a novice at chicken genetics, so maybe someone else can add to this.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 11, 2002.

How many chicks of each color did you hatch?

If there are about 50% white then they are most likely all the same sex: certain breed combinations will produce autosexed chicks at hatching. (ie. Rhode Island Red Male x Light Sussex Female will produce white males and reddish-brown females).

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), March 11, 2002.

heck Brion you dont eat the feathers. Bob se,ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@kans.com), March 11, 2002.