[mojocafa]

I have hatched Araucana chicks

Cockerel is lavender

Hens are white, black, lavender

So I will presume white hens have produced white chicks, lavender hens have produced lavender chicks
But there is one  chick which is a lovely redish brown colour which may be from the black hen.

Anyone had experience in this?

Cheers mojo

[landroverroy]

I am not 100% sure how the genetics of colour work in araucanas. However, the old way to get sex linked chicks was to cross a white hen with a coloured cockerel. Then the cockerels were white, and the female chicks coloured. This was traditionally done with Light Sussex (ie white) hens and a Rhode Island Red (ie coloured) cockerel. So you then knew on hatching that the brown chicks were pullets and didn't have to raise a lot of white cockerels that you didn't want.
So assuming the system works with araucanas, then your white chicks will be cockerels from your white hens, the lavender chicks will be a mixture of pullets from your white hens, and both sexes from your lavender hens, and your reddish brown chick (most likely) from your black hen.
 
 

[mojocafa]

Thanks landroverroy, that has been helpful

[mojocafa]

Landroverroy - I think this is the outcome

White       male and female
Black       male
Lavender  Male
Reddish    Male

Just my luck!!!

It's a pity someone couldnt invent  a scan for identifying whilst an embryo it would be so much easier. If anyone would like white or lavender auracana cockerel let me know. I am keeping the the red and black ones
Hatched 1 June 2013

[landroverroy]

Obviously the colour system in araucanas is more complicated than in simple brown or white poultry!
But never mind, at least it keeps the suspense going a bit longer. Pretty bad luck though only getting one pullet, but then that's poultry breeding for you.  

[shygirl]

i might be wrong but i thought the lavender colour was recessive? or something similar.