Barring (Sex-linked)

The sex-linked barring gene creates a pattern of white bars against a usually dark base pattern on each feather of the bird. Chicks on dark bases will be mostly dark grey, with a small white patch on the back of the head (2). It is most commonly seen in barred, crele, and cuckoo varieties in numerous breeds, including Legbars, Plymouth Rocks, cuckoo Marans, Dominiques, and crele Old English.

It is both sexlinked and autosexing, meaning that it can be crossed with other varieties in a specific way to create sexable-at-hatch chicks, and that barred chicks can be sexed at hatch as well (3). Males will tend to have a bigger white spot on the back of their head than females.

The cuckoo variety is simply barred plus the fast feathering gene, forcing the black pigment on the feather to develop faster and creating an overall softer look to the typical black and white pattern. You'll see it often in D'anvers and Old English (7) though many other breeds are often be cuckoo, including hatchery Barred Rocks. (8)

Crele is the barring gene on the gold duckwing. It causes the cocks to have orange and white barred saddle and hackle feathers, a slightly darker orange through the wing coverts, and standard black and white "cuckoo-looking" barring throughout. The hens will have the same orange and white barring through the head and neck, a lighter orange breast color, and the soft cuckoo barring through the wings, back, and tail. This variety is only recognized in Old English (7), though it is also bred in bantam wyandottes, and all Legbars have the crele as their "base pattern" plus additional dilutions on top. (9)

Varieties: barred, cuckoo, crele

The APA recognizes the following breeds with the barring gene: Cochin, Holland, Japanese, Plymouth Rock, d'Anver, Old English Game, Delaware, and Dominique.(7)