A Brief History of Autosexing Breeding

The first Autosexing breed was the Cambar (Gold Campine X Barred Rock) in 1929. it was part of Professor R.C. Punnet and Mr M S Pease experimental work at Cambridge that lead to this discovery.  Barred Rock doesn’t have to be the only one used in fact but barred breed will produce the crucial barring factor but more importantly, each breed takes its character from the main pure breed used in its make-up. The colours of the adult males are striking as they have a double dose of the barring factor,but that of the hens is often dowdy as they have only one dose,having the effect of smudging the markings. Standards which have been passed by the Poultry Club are as follows • Brussbar  - gold and silver • Brockbar • Legbar - gold, silver and cream • Cambar - gold and silver • Dorbar - gold and silver • Rhodebar • Welbar - gold and silver • Wybar - gold and silver • Bielfelder - gold and silver The  Cream Legbar is a crested breed (which lay a blue, green or olive egg) has had a dose of Araucana blood to give it it’s crest and egg colour. Some are more complex in their make up. The Wybar was first launched at the Cambridge School of Agriculture circa 1941 and the breeds used in it’s make-up were the Light Sussex, Brussbar (barred brown Sussex) Canadian Barred Rocks and later on, Rhode Island Reds. The main Wyandotte variety used was the silver laced. The outcome was a large, all-round bird that is dual purpose (Eggs and Meat) Once part of the Rare Poultry Society, these breeds are looked after by the Autosexing Breeding Association. Many of these breeds are extremely rare if not extinct and many members of the association are doing their best to revive them.