Black sex link? Maybe some Australorp? Hen? or rooster...

[Over Easy PA]

I'm totally new to this, but having a great time! I have 10 chickens -- all are supposed to be sex link hens (7 black and 3 red), but there are a couple of the black ones I'm getting curious about! Both are really beautiful with their golden "hoods". Wondering if they are part Australorp? What would the other part be? And most important -- Are they roosters??? Their tail feathers seem different from my other ones -- more curved. But they don't have more developed combs than the others and they don't make any noise that is different. Here are photos of one of them. THe other one is virtually her (?) twin. Thanks for your help! CAROLINE

I'm asking about the one on the left --

Here's a good shot of the comb --

Standing side views --

 

[ChickenPeep]

BSL is my guess!

 

[Ridgerunner]

That is a black sex link pullet.

There are many ways to make black sex links. One very common way is a Rhode Island Red rooster over a Barred Rock hen. With her yellow legs, I think that is a real possibility with her.

 

[ChicKat]

beautiful birds. I vote BSL..... once their combs and wattles develop and redden, eggs will be next. (lots of them)

 

[Over Easy PA]

Thanks for the reassurance! So the curved tail feathers shouldn't worry me that she's a he? The other black ones (also sex links) have such straight tails. Here's a picture of one of the other black ones. Why do they look so different? THe tails are really different and they don't have the golden feather hoods -- they have more reddish looking feathers around their chest and a few around their shoulders. Any idea what kind of chickens the parents could have been for these? All of the black ones have a very green shine to their feathers - Beautiful!

Here's one that shows the straight tail feathers

Here's a group shot that shows several of the black ones with the sprinking of reddish feathers on the chest / shoulders.

 

[ChickenPeep]

A BLS is a mix of a Rhode island red rooster, and a barred rock hen. The reason they are called 'Sex link' is because you can tell what gender they are easily by looking at thier color. Im sure there girls because a roo BSL would have barred black and white markings!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Actually you can make Black Sex Links from many different combinations, especially different roosters. This chart is from Tadkerson’s thread on the subject. Many, probably most, nurseries use the RIR rooster over a Barred Rock hen to make their BSL, but not all do. Here’s the link if you want to read about the sex links.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208