Are These Chicks Roosters???

[juliecox]

Ok, so I'm new to raising chicks. I have two that I'm especially fond of, but I can't have roosters where I live. One is a 2-month-old barred rock, the other is a 1-month-old Silkie x Ameraucana mix. Does anyone have a guess as to whether or not one or both of these guys are roosters, by their feathering and combs?

Thanks!

 

[nicalandia]

look like roos to me...

 

[sherrydeanne]

BR is a roo, the mix is way too early for me to tell.

 

[PotterWatch]

The BR looks like a mix to me, not pure BR. Doesn't look like there is much red in the comb at this point. Can you post a side view so we can see the height of the comb better? With that picture alone, I agree that it looks like a roo. I don't have a guess on the second one.

 

[speckledhen]

The BR is a mix or a black sexlink (which is also a mix anyway). In that pic, it looks male.

 

[juliecox]

Dang, it was supposed to be a purebred ... Oh well. This is the best picture I could get of him from the side ...

 

[Dustin Biery]

I agree with the others, the "BR" looks more like a black sexlink male. Unless the camera and lighting are making bird #2's comb appear more red than it really it, it is also a male.

 

[juliecox]

How do you tell the difference between a barred rock and a black sexlink?

 

[Dustin Biery]

It is all in the way they feather out. Barred Rocks will have the same basic barring from head to tail. This bird is super light around his head, darkening as you progress towards the tail.

This is a juevinile barred rock male.

**Not the greatest picture, but gets the point across.

Picture from: http://prospectgardens.org/June-2008.php

 

[juliecox]

Ahh, I see now. Yes, I definitely see the difference. Thanks a lot! He's definitely a black sexlink rooster then. I'm going to hold out hope that my Silkie x Ameraucana might still be a hen. We'll see!