Australorps and Amber links- gender?

[Shugercube]

I have two of each! Approximately 5 weeks old. Thinking both australorps are pullets, and the amberlinks are cockerels, mayyyybe one of each, but those combs sure do seem nice and pink to me.

Australorp #1:

Australorp #2:

Amberlink #1:

Amberlink #2:

Here’s a shot of both ‘links together, for comparison. 1 on the right, 2 on the left.

 

[3KillerBs]

The Australorps look like pullets to me.

I know that Amberlinks are supposed to be able to be sexed by color, but I'm afraid I don't know what the difference is supposed to be. Those combs certainly do look male.

 

[JedJackson]

Amberlinks are a feather sexing variety, but it is too late for that now. I think they are both cockerels. The Australorps look like pullets so far.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Amberlinks are a feather sexing variety, but it is too late for that now. I think they are both cockerels. The Australorps look like pullets so far.

I agree!

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Amberlinks are a feather sexing variety, but it is too late for that now. I think they are both cockerels. The Australorps look like pullets so far.

X3

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, but from what I understand, the amberlinks are one of those breeds. But I believe it’s only accurate in the first day or two, and I’m not sure how old they were when I brought them home. Old enough to be eating and drinking in the TSC brooder bin, so I’m guessing it was too late by then.

They could have been, Yes. But feather sexing is a trait beyond breed, it takes more time to check the parents for traits to breed slow or fast feathering chicks and since time is money and these are mass produced, hatchery quailty, high production birds. It's not worth it. Could be though.

 

[nuthatched]

If it helps, I did look at their wing feathers when I first got them, and there *seemed* to only be the one row/length of feathers on the amberlinks, however I’m not sure how many days old they were at that point, so that may or may not be useful information lol

Feather sexing has to be bred for, it doesn't work on every bird.

 

[3KillerBs]

Ah, I see. So even as a “sex-linked” breed, it still depends on how they were bred. I don’t know much about how the genetics work. I know some sex-linked traits don’t continue down through the generations, so would that be the case with these guys? Like I can’t think of the specifics of what I’m talking about, but I think I remember that if you were to breed a certain color roo with a certain color female, all their boys will be the color of the hen and the girls will be the color of the roo. But then if you bred the offspring, which are now the opposite colors, none of their babies would be sex-linked. Or something like that?? Lol I did NOT do well in biology

Anyway, is it something along those lines, where the first gen of amberlinks is sex-linked, but future generations are not? Does that work the same way with the ISA browns also? If you bred 2 ISA’s, their offspring would not be able to be autosexed by color, correct?

Yes, sexlinked crosses only work for the first generation.

There are autosexing breeds, where male and female chicks come in different colors consistently, but even that can be messed up if the breeder doesn't cull out ambiguous chicks and breed only from the clearly distinguishable ones.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you for replying back!! Do you think mine is a Roo? Moo is 6 weeks old today Def bigger than my Polish but I heard Polish hens are smaller in comparison? I took a million pictures because I really can’t tell. Moo has really long wing & tail feathers, but the comb has developed more & wattles are developing in what seems like red….
Neck feathers seem like they’re coming in white but there are two dark brown feathers that are basically hidden in. What do you think?

That comb says "boy".

 

[Shugercube]

If it helps, I did look at their wing feathers when I first got them, and there *seemed* to only be the one row/length of feathers on the amberlinks, however I’m not sure how many days old they were at that point, so that may or may not be useful information lol