Help with breed and maybe gender

[sewcrazy]

We bought a clutch of 6 heritage breed chicks in April. They were 1day old and we were told all female. We think we have IDed all the breeds except for one. Any help would be appreciated

 

[fshinggrl]

That is a sex linked rooster.

 

[sewcrazy]

No crowing yet. But we aren't allowed roosters in our area.

If it's a sex linked, the reputable breeder here should have known it was a cockerel.

 

[sewcrazy]

Thank you. Just looked it up and that is obviously what HE is. Bummer.
Now to start looking for a new home for him, before he starts crowing and neighbors pitch fits.
24 weeks old and not crowing yet

 

[AtlantisPeeps]

X3 on red sex linked rooster

 

[fshinggrl]

Thank you. Just looked it up and that is obviously what HE is. Bummer.
Now to start looking for a new home for him, before he starts crowing and neighbors pitch fits.
24 weeks old and not crowing yet

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Yes, a reputable breeder would have known it was a rooster. That is one of the most recognizable roosters there are! Good luck rehoming. He looks younger than 24 weeks.

 

[keesmom]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Yes, a reputable breeder would have known it was a rooster. That is one of the most recognizable roosters there are! Good luck rehoming. He looks younger than 24 weeks.

I agree, I would guess 12 weeks.

 

[sewcrazy]

Now I feel silly. I just counted the weeks we have had them. They are 19 weeks old. Not 24. I am not sure where that number came from and at this point it feels like "forever".

Looking at the pictures of him when we got him, he was just a cream colored ball of fluff. The markings didn't show up until he was about 10 weeks old.

 

[Michael OShay]

He is definitely a Red Sex Link rooster, and I'm sorry to say, the breeder probably did know it was a rooster. He likely figured his customers wouldn't know the difference. I've seen breeders at swap meets, and other places, pull this stunt before. They sell off the male sex link chicks to unsuspecting customers, and keep the female chicks for themselves. The Red Sex Link chicks are easy to sex from hatching. Male chicks are whitish and female chicks are reddish.

 

[donrae]

I agree, if the breeder knew anything about breeding sex links, they should have known how to sex them. Here's a pic from the sex link info thread showing the differences

Or, maybe the seller just ordered chicks and resold them, and you simply got an Oops rooster from the hatchery.