Barred Rocks? ***now with pics***

[speckledhen]

I have tried to tell feedstore personnel that they did not have what was on the label on the front of the brooder; I breed BRs and they refused to listen to me that what they had in there were not BRs. The hatcheries can mislabel shipments, for goodness sake!

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

How can you tell if a black sex link is a male or female? I just found out that one of our supposed "barred rocks" may be a sex link also. He resembled the others more when they were tiny chicks, but he obviously doesn't fit in with them now! I did tell my husband from the beginning that one of our chicks didn't quite look like the others and am proud to say that I was right!

Does this guy look like your mystery chick? See pictures here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=170224

 

[speckledhen]

Black sexlink males have a headspot and females do not. You cant readily tell the black sexlink male from a BR unless you know you have sexlinks, till later when you see really bad barring and miscolored feathers in the tails and wings. Rudolph does not look like a BSL, though. He'd have some barring. Unless it's a female BSL, then she'd be black with gold/brown down the front.

 

[mermaidgoat]

Quote:
My 3 that were supposed to be BR (but apparently are not) have black beaks. Looks like yours is yellow? What is yours?

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

Mine had an orange/red beak when we got him, but it's getting a little darker now. That's why we named him/her Rudolph. I was happy that my husband actually named it because he usually isn't too interested in naming the chickens like my daughter & I are.

I saw the bright beak the day my husband brought them home and told him this one had a different beak. Besides that, it really didn't look much different than the Barred Rock chicks. As they got a week or 2 old, my daughter pointed out that Rudolph was almost totally black, while the others are starting to get the white bars on their feathers. I am certain Rudolph was put in with the BRs by mistake, but just don't know what she or he is. Of course, this is my favorite of that group because it's different than the others.

 

[speckledhen]

Keep us posted as Rudolph grows! Should be fun to see her/him develop.

 

[mermaidgoat]

Here are pics of my mystery babies:

I'm thinking black sexlink??

 

[speckledhen]

They appear to be BSL's, yes. Could be something else, but if they are indeed BSLs, then they are pullets. Could be Australorps, but they have a brownish tint to it and I don't think Aussies have that. The leg color is bugging me, though. Dont recall sexlinks having really dark legs like that..

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

I went back out and took a good look at Rudolph. She does have some gold-colored feathers coming in around her neck and even some golden tips on the black back feathers. It doesn't show up in the picture, but it's easy to see in person. Yay! Maybe it's a girl after all! She will always be a "Rudolph," though. The name has already stuck!

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

They do not look like our Australorps. The Australorps looked like this as babies:

My Rudolph (link to picture in previous message) had a brownish tint when she was a baby also.