solid black chick

[Michael OShay]

In the photo with two in my hand, she is the one protesting. I used this to compare: she is about 10 days old, the other chick, an Australorp, is three or four days.

In the "top view" you can see that she holds her wings out a bit, , and the one where I'm holding her, it shows best her wing, leg, etc.

Any ideas?

Your chick could definitely be a Black Sex Link chick, but then again there are several breeds that also look virtually identical to this one as well. I would recommend posting its pic again in about 5-6 weeks. By then the breed and gender should be pretty obvious. If it is a Black Sex Link, it is a female as male BSLs have a white spot on top of their heads. I hope for your sake it is a Black Sex Link as they are friendly and hardy, egg laying machines. )

 

[Shawnee Moon]

She is STILL smaller than four day old Australorp chicks, and she's like 11 days old. She's is such a peewee!

I'm wondering if there are BSL bantams?

 

[Michael OShay]

She is STILL smaller than four day old Australorp chicks, and she's like 11 days old. She's is such a peewee!

I'm wondering if there are BSL bantams?

Theoretically you could breed a BSL bantam by crossing a solid breed bantam rooster with a barred breed bantam hen, but I've never heard of any hatcheries doing it. BSLs are generally bred for heavy egg production so the breeders want large eggs, not bantam eggs.

 

[Wishapup]

Theoretically you could breed a BSL bantam by crossing a solid breed bantam rooster with a barred breed bantam hen, but I've never heard of any hatcheries doing it. BSLs are generally bred for heavy egg production so the breeders want large eggs, not bantam eggs.

Agreed. A bantam would sort of defeat the purpose of the BSL hatchery cross. Most bantam varieties at hatcheries cater to people who want them as pets and not star producers. Either she's a bantam of some other variety, or she's an unintentional dwarf!

 

[popsicle]

Agreed. A bantam would sort of defeat the purpose of the BSL hatchery cross. Most bantam varieties at hatcheries cater to people who want them as pets and not star producers. Either she's a bantam of some other variety, or she's an unintentional dwarf!

I've seen several requests on BYC for bantam sex links. I think a LOT of "city folk" would love to buy guaranteed bantam pullets (that don't cost $10+ bucks that a sexed bantam costs from a hatchery).

I don't think the bird in question is a bantam black sex link. I think it's a Black Sex Link. Maybe it's something neat and different, like a Brown Red Old English Game Bantam--but wouldn't it be even smaller?

 

[Michael OShay]

I've seen several requests on BYC for bantam sex links. I think a LOT of "city folk" would love to buy guaranteed bantam pullets (that don't cost $10+ bucks that a sexed bantam costs from a hatchery).

I don't think the bird in question is a bantam black sex link. I think it's a Black Sex Link. Maybe it's something neat and different, like a Brown Red Old English Game Bantam--but wouldn't it be even smaller?

If you crossed two bantams to make the Black Sex Link, it would be a bantam in the most basic sense as it would be a bantam sized chicken. However, since Black Sex Links are hybrids and not actually a breed, it would not be a bantam breed.

 

[popsicle]

If you crossed two bantams to make the Black Sex Link, it would be a bantam in the most basic sense as it would be a bantam sized chicken. However, since Black Sex Links are hybrids and not actually a breed, it would not be a bantam breed.

If we're going to get picky, you yourself posted above the exact words "BSL bantam" just a few posts above.

And that doesn't change the fact that there may be a market for the offspring of a Rhode Island Red bantam over a Barred Rock bantam.

Theoretically you could breed a BSL bantam by crossing a solid breed bantam rooster with a barred breed bantam hen, but I've never heard of any hatcheries doing it. BSLs are generally bred for heavy egg production so the breeders want large eggs, not bantam eggs.

 

[Michael OShay]

If we're going to get picky, you yourself posted above the exact words "BSL bantam" just a few posts above.

And that doesn't change the fact that there may be a market for the offspring of a Rhode Island Red bantam over a Barred Rock bantam.

LOL! I'm not really being picky and could care less what it's called. I was just using the term bantam by the standard dictionary definition, "a chicken of any of several varieties or breeds characterized by very small size." Based on that definition, a BSL produced by crossing two bantams would be a BSL bantam. )

 

[popsicle]

And apologies if my coffee was too weak this morning... I was saying that I don't think the bird is a bantam, but a regular hatchery Black Sex Link produced from large fowl parents. My Black Sex Links always start much smaller than the other production and dual purpose chicks they arrive with.

I'd rather see pictures of this chick with the other chicks from the same hatch, than another chick of a different breed from a different hatch (and different source?) to convince me this is a bantam.

 

[Shawnee Moon]

Japanese Bantam maybe? At least one of the hatcheries that supply the store carry them. I can't tell if she has short legs though.