Got some free "males for heat" chicks I'm curious about.

[cscigu]

I got these in from Ideal Poultry today. I'd orders 9 Welsummer pullets, and 3 ducks. Also received 9 extras, that are apparently males included for heat. Must be a slow week. Its the black ones in question, you can see the brown Welsummers plus one of the black/white crested magpie ducks in there, too.

I'm curious what they are. My guess would be some variety that is the result of a sex-link thing, but I don't know that much about how that works. Are black sex link roos black?

These look just like the Black Copper Maran chicks I've got before, but surely they're not giving those away. But, BLM chickens look much like a black sex-link, minus the feathered legs.

What yall figure?

 

[junebuggena]

Could be Cuckoo Marans, Barred Rock, or black sexlink cockerels. No way to really tell which when they are so young.

 

[cscigu]

I guess I'm not sure what color males are with the red or black sex links. I thought the females were red or black, but don't know what color the males come out. It would make sense its a high volume, low cost breed.

 

[junebuggena]

I guess I'm not sure what color males are with the red or black sex links. I thought the females were red or black, but don't know what color the males come out. It would make sense its a high volume, low cost breed.

Black sexlink males start out looking like Barred Rock and Cuckoo Marans chicks, black with a white spot on the back of the head.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

I agree with June, Cuckoo Marans, Black Sexlink Male, Or Barred Rock.No way to tell till they are full grown.

 

[junebuggena]

Once they are about two or three weeks old, you'll be able to tell. Sexlink cockerels only have a single copy of the barring gene. And if Marans, they will have white skin, not yellow.

 

[BantamLover21]

Could be Cuckoo Marans, Barred Rock, or black sexlink cockerels. No way to really tell which when they are so young.

Agreed.

 

[drumstick diva]

also agree