The Autosexing breeds first came into being at the University of Cambridge in the late 1920’s – early 1930’s. Professors Punnet and Pease (who remembers using Punnet squares to work out crosses in biology lessons?!) worked out that the gene for the barring pattern (they used the Barred Rock in these first crosses) could be used to sex chicks by down colour at day old. Males inherit two copies of the barring gene and females only one. This leads to males having a distinct pale head spot and pale colouration, females being of the dark ‘chipmunk’ stripe colouration.

Most commercial egg producers then moved to breeding these hybrids, which showed, amongst other features, superior viability and egg production. These new hybrids also managed to incorporate the previous USP of the Autosexing breeds, in a useful sex-linked trait that also enabled them to be sexed at hatching. The interest in the Autosexing breeds then slowed, leading to a lack of the required selection and improvement of the breeds that would have been required to maintain their potential commercial productivity. They then became more of a small producers/hobbyist breed, and some indeed have been lost.

The Autosexing breeds that we have in existence today vary in their rarity. The most commonly seen is the Cream Legbar, with their blue egg meaning that they are of interest to lots of small flock keepers keen to have pretty coloured eggs in their baskets. All of the Autosexing breeds are on the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s watch list, with our breeds being classed as ‘rare’ or ‘very rare’.

The Autosexing Breeds Club was reformed in 2018 and looks after all Autosexing Poultry. This means these breeds are no longer under the Rare Poultry Society, but many are extrmemly rare and are on the RBST watch list – some as critially rare. Debs is the chair of the Association so please contact us for any breed enquiries.