Hens or roosters?

[Elamb12]

Got these two together from tractor supply. They were supposed to be the same breed? Can someone tell me what sex they are? I'm praying at least one is a hen. Are they plymouth rocks?

 

[junebuggena]

Those are black sex-link. Boys look like barred rocks, girls are black with copper or red around the necks. You will not get sexlink chick from breeding them together, though.

 

[donrae]

You have a pair of black sex links. The black and white barred bird is the male, the black and red bird is the female. She'll be an amazing layer for you. He'll be, well....not sure what you plan for him. Here he'd make a nice pan of enchiladas.

 

[Elamb12]

Those are black sex-link. Boys look like barred rocks, girls are black with copper or red around the necks. You will not get sexlink chick from breeding them together, though.

So does that mean that they can't mate? If so, why not? Thanks for all of you're info guys. I had no idea they were sex links. I'm so clueless on all of this still.

 

[Limpyduck]

It doesn't mean you cant breed them, just that you wont be able to sex the chicks as soon as they hatch. That's one of the distinctions of sex links , you can tell the gender of the chicks as soon as their hatched, because they will have distinct differences in color or pattern, but you don't get sex link chicks from sex link parents if that makes sense.

 

[junebuggena]

Yes, they can mate, but you will not get sexlinked chicks. A sexlink is a cross between a barred hen, usually a barred rock, and a non-barred rooster, usually Rhode Island Red. The resulting chicks are sexlinked, meaning that you can tell the boys from girls at hatching. Boys inherit their mom's barring, girls do not. Since your boy is barred, both girl and boy chicks could be barred.

 

[Elamb12]

It doesn't mean you cant breed them, just that you wont be able to sex the chicks as soon as they hatch. That's one of the distinctions of sex links , you can tell the gender of the chicks as soon as their hatched, because they will have distinct differences in color or pattern, but you don't get sex link chicks from sex link parents if that makes sense.

I feel like a blonde right now but Im so confused. When you say you don't get sex link chicks from sex link parents... huh? You get a different type of chick?

 

[Kev]

Another way- sex linking is an "one time thing".

It has to be a rooster with no barring bred with a barred hen. All the boys come out barred(white head spot on chick) and the girls do not have the barring, also no head spot. Easy way to sex the chicks right at hatch. That is why birds bred this way are called "sex links" with yours being black sex links.

If a barred rooster is used, then chicks in both sexes will come up with barring.. that is what's meant by 'cant breed them(to set sex linked chicks)'

You can breed them without any problems, just realize not to assume the chicks with the white spots on head are males from this cross. Also they will come in a lot more colors and patterns- barred, barred with some red, some white with black neck and tails, some colored like delaware, some looking like RIR etc. They will be about the same size as those and either be good or great layers but not exactly as good as the sex link hens because they won't have the 'magic effects' of hybrid vigor.

 

[Wyandottes7]

You have two Black Sex-links.

 

[BantamLover21]

You have a pair of black sex links. The black and white barred bird is the male, the black and red bird is the female. She'll be an amazing layer for you. He'll be, well....not sure what you plan for him. Here he'd make a nice pan of enchiladas.

x2