"Black Maran sexlink"--is this a roo?

[RO]

I was going to tell you a Black Marans Sexlink wasn't a thing, but it looks like some hatcheries do breed them. I assume they came about to meet demand for guaranteed pullets that should lay dark eggs. Some hatcheries give them a cute name like "Rustic Rambler" or "Midnight Majesty Marans".

The cross is a Black Copper Maran male on a Barred Rock female. The male chicks get a copy of the barred gene from their mothers. The female chicks don't. Your chick is barred, so it's a male.

Thank you for this! I suspected something was up when "she" started getting white speckles...