Also, Black Australorps??????????

[Mystery Peepers]

I have two 8-9 week old chickens that are black with brown tinges on their breasts. They have black legs. I have a full grown black australorp hen. My little ones have the same looks as her, escept their combs are yellow and my full grown one's are red. They also have brown on their feathers on the front. My grown one doesn't. Are the little ones Australorps?

-M.P.

Chickens:
1 NHR Margret, 1 BA Ileen, 2 ??black Pet and Patty, 1 ? rooster Clooney, 3 ??? white/yellow Lucy, Dove, Murray, three 1 week old guineas, four 1 1/2 months old guineas.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Pictures.

 

[Mystery Peepers]

Thanks
I'll see if I can get any up.

-M.P.

 

[MaineChickens]

Australorps shouldn't have any brown feathers- sounds like a black star or black sex-link to me...

 

[stormylady]

Sounds more like black sexlinks from the description of the red feathers on the chest.

 

[Mystery Peepers]

What is a sex-link. Also, what is the difference between a pullet, and a sex linked? Did you say you ave two labs? I've got a thread going on my HYPER,DESTRUCTIVE,JUMPY lab. It's under, other pets and livestock, ! YEAR OLD FEMALE BLACK LAB.... Thanks!

-M.P.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

We have 9 Australorps and I have never seen any brown feathers on them, so I would say they are probably something else.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

Quote:
A sex link is a mixed-breed chicken whose sex can be determined by its coloring. Males are one color and females are another. I also have a chick that is probably a black sex link and she is black with golden colored feathers around her neck. I am not the expert, but this could be what you have. Post pictures and the people here are usually very helpful.

 

[stormylady]

Yes I do have 2 labs and black and a chocolate, Mother and Daughter combo, Mom Sally is 13 now and Daughter Cinnomon is 11 years old. and I love them dearly!

I will check out you post. Sandy

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Sex-links are a planned breeding that makes use of sex-linked genes to produce chicks that are sexable at hatching based upon their appearance. The two most common kinds are

1) red sex-links, which make use of the silver/gold gene to produce red or buff pullets (young females) or mostly white cockerels (young males)

and

2) black sex-links, which make use of the barring gene to produce mostly black (usually with some brown or red) pullets and barred cockerels.

Hatcheries have named versions of these crosses such as Golden Comet, Cinnamon Queen, Isa Brown, Black Star, etc., and they breed for high production (eggs).