This is for my Black Sex-Link, named Blackberry. As some of you may have noticed, she is the inspiration behind my username. Blackberry was five and a half years old. Obviously, she had stopped laying, but she was still very special to me. A very dominant hen, but still very sweet. As you can see, she didn't have the usual Black Sex-Link look to her, lacking the gold/brown feathers around the neck. So, I'm sure exactly what sex-linked cross was used to produce her, but it's a possibility that she may be a second-generation Sex-Link cross (Black Sex-Link x Black Sex-Link).

I got her from the Country Store when she was only a few days old, with two more Black Sex-Links, and three Red Sex-Links.



Blackberry, and her "sister", my Red Sex-Link, Goldie, you can obviously see that they are attached to each other from these photos of them dust-bathing and scratching together.




My Sex-Link flock was the first batch of chickens that I decided to sell eggs from, and so, after many attempts to get a photo to put on the egg cartons, I ended up with this official pic. From left to right, Midnight, Amber, Blackberry, and Goldie.



Blackberry has gone broody twice, and this is her sitting in her favorite nest box, along with a pic of Goldie and Midnight visiting (more annoying) her.





I received an Easter Egger egg from a neighbor for her to incubate. It ended up being fertilized, and she hatched an Easter Egger chick from it, whom I named Penny. Here are a few pics of them together, one when she was a few days old, the other about 5 weeks.



Unfortunately, Penny was picked on by my other hens after Blackberry stopped taking care of her. One day, I came to the coop in late October and found her dead, with all of her feathers plucked off.

Blackberry herself has recently died on October 1, 2015, due to old age. Her beak turned yellow, and she started growing white feathers. It was a difficult loss for me and the flock.

So, Blackberry is no longer in my flock, in which I've added Barred Rocks and Leghorns. She was probably the top of the pecking order, along with Goldie, keeping everything in tack for me. They may have been older, but are extremely healthy and active. She loved to be held and was very social. She (along with my Leghorns and Barred Rocks) followed me everywhere. Blackberry was a great hen. Goldie has also died recently, also of old age.