New to chickens, need help with breed.

Hi there!

I am new to owning chickens, as the title says. I got my first 3 last summer, then added another that I got from school, then saved 2 more that were supposed to end up as reptile food. One of those we lost to a neighbor's dog, but we still have the other. Anyway, long story short... since I am so new at this I don't know one breed from the next, lol. This is Butterscotch, one of the ones that was saved from being snake food. She is so pretty, and I have been curious as to what breed she is. Or is she a mix?



I have to say, that I was only originally into getting chickens because of their eggs. But I have fallen in love with them so much! I go out and visit with them daily and could just watch them all day!

Anyway, thanks in advance for your help!

Morglez said:

Hi there!

I am new to owning chickens, as the title says. I got my first 3 last summer, then added another that I got from school, then saved 2 more that were supposed to end up as reptile food. One of those we lost to a neighbor's dog, but we still have the other. Anyway, long story short... since I am so new at this I don't know one breed from the next, lol. This is Butterscotch, one of the ones that was saved from being snake food. She is so pretty, and I have been curious as to what breed she is. Or is she a mix?



I have to say, that I was only originally into getting chickens because of their eggs. But I have fallen in love with them so much! I go out and visit with them daily and could just watch them all day!

Anyway, thanks in advance for your help!

Click to expand...

How old is Butterscotch? Because 'she' looks like a red sexlink rooster, not a hen....Sorry. Since you said you were new to chickens, I will tell you why I think he is a rooster. For starters, the comb is very big and red, especially for how old it looks. Secondly, see the red on the shoulders and chest? That's a trait basically only seen in males. Thirdly, his legs are very thick. Fourthly, see the hackle(neck) feathers and saddle(in between the tail feathers and back feathers) feathers? They are very thin, long, and pointy, and should be a bit translucent. And lastly, he has two tail feathers kind of curved at the top. That generally means rooster. I bet he was snake food because they could tell he was a rooster because he was a red sex link. With red sex links, you can tell if a chick is male or female by the down color. The males will be a pale yellow and the females will be red. Was he light yellow as a chick?

Oh. I forgot to mention that red sexlinks are hybrids, or crosses. You cannot make more sexlinked chicks with a sexlink parent. And do you have any more that you are wondering about? And I really like that color too...I wish I could get it on hens....Well, besides a red shouldered Yokohama...

What does the other chick you rescued look like? Do you think that one may be a rooster as well?

Yep, that is a rooster. Sorry

BaileyMChicks said:

How old is Butterscotch? Because 'she' looks like a red sexlink rooster, not a hen....Sorry. Since you said you were new to chickens, I will tell you why I think he is a rooster. For starters, the comb is very big and red, especially for how old it looks. Secondly, see the red on the shoulders and chest? That's a trait basically only seen in males. Thirdly, his legs are very thick. Fourthly, see the hackle(neck) feathers and saddle(in between the tail feathers and back feathers) feathers? They are very thin, long, and pointy, and should be a bit translucent. And lastly, he has two tail feathers kind of curved at the top. That generally means rooster. I bet he was snake food because they could tell he was a rooster because he was a red sex link. With red sex links, you can tell if a chick is male or female by the down color. The males will be a pale yellow and the females will be red. Was he light yellow as a chick?

Click to expand...

Honestly, I am not sure how old Butterscotch is. Still young, I know that much. Just not sure of an exact age. I did not see her (or him) as a chick so not sure of the color. We only got her/him a couple months ago. No need to be sorry though, I don't mind having a rooster if that is indeed what she(or he) is. I did definitely notice the difference in the neck feathers, and wondered about that. Didn't even notice the curved tail feathers!

Thanks so much for that info!

BaileyMChicks said:

What does the other chick you rescued look like? Do you think that one may be a rooster as well?

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OMG I am SOOO sorry! I forgot you had lost it.....I feel bad for mentioning it..I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for your loss...I'm going to shut up now...

BaileyMChicks said:

Oh. I forgot to mention that red sexlinks are hybrids, or crosses. You cannot make more sexlinked chicks with a sexlink parent. And do you have any more that you are wondering about? And I really like that color too...I wish I could get it on hens....Well, besides a red shouldered Yokohama...

What does the other chick you rescued look like? Do you think that one may be a rooster as well?

Click to expand...

I have this picture from a couple days after we brought them home. Not the best picture, but it's the only one I have of the other chicken. Unfortunately she/he is the one we lost to the neighbor's dog. Definitely a different look, so perhaps that one was a hen?


Edited because I forgot the picture, silly me!

BaileyMChicks said:

OMG I am SOOO sorry! I forgot you had lost it.....I feel bad for mentioning it..I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for your loss...I'm going to shut up now...

Click to expand...

Lol no worries! I appreciate all the help!

Morglez said:

I have this picture from a couple days after we brought them home. Not the best picture, but it's the only one I have of the other chicken. Unfortunately she/he is the one we lost to the neighbor's dog. Definitely a different look, so perhaps that one was a hen?


Edited because I forgot the picture, silly me!

Click to expand...

The one in front? That one also looks like a red sexlink, but a hen They look quite different when they are full grown. I'm sorry you lost her. That's the one you were talking about right? The one in the front?

BaileyMChicks said:

The one in front? That one also looks like a red sexlink, but a hen They look quite different when they are full grown. I'm sorry you lost her. That's the one you were talking about right? The one in the front?

Click to expand...

Yep, the darker one in the front was Caramel. She is the one we lost.
So when you said that you cannot make anymore sex links with a sex link parent, does that mean that the parent is sterile? Or they just wont be sex link? Just curious. And I think it's pretty cool that we ended up with a rooster. I bet he is going to be even more beautiful when he is fully grown. I cant wait to see how he turns out!

Thanks again for all your help