So the birchen are solid black when hatched? I would be interested in hearing how the cross with the whites carries thru.
Birchen checks are solid black as are brown red. Although brown red checks will sometimes have brown heads.
This is the best way to tell ErEr (birchen) from EE (black).
EE checks are black with white (or cream) bellies.
The White / Silver cross (Silver male over white hens) hatched out solid black. They are starting to get brown on their wings. Hard to know what genes are under a white bird.
I have heard the old barn/paint adage many times. From other posts, is it fair to say that color comes from the male, type and maybe size from the female?
This is only partially true. Size and type are determined by both both males and females.
Sex linked colors (Silver and Gold) are somewhat determined by the males. For example a Silver Birchen male over brown red females will give all Silver Birchen females. A Brown Red male over Birchen females will give all Brown Red Females. Both of these crosses will give yellowish birchen split males.
Other colors, like blue, will give you the same results regardless if the male or the female is blue.
Curtis