I thought I had a sex link rooster and 7 hens, turns out I have two roosters and 6 hens.

[fatboysmith]

All information on BYC and the internet states that Black Sex Link cockerels are similar to a barred rock pattern. The BSL rooster that I purchased with the hens fit that description. One of the "hens", it now seems is a rooster, but he looks like the hens with the exception of yellowish legs vs. black / gray and he is taller with a larger comb and wattles (as any rooster would be). Has anyone heard of or seen this before. Is it even possible genetically speaking, or was there just a mix up at the hatchery?

Dennis

 

[StarMeKritten]

I don't think it's possible to have a non-barred black sex link rooster. Either it is a masculine looking hen approaching point of lay, or it could be that it's a rooster of a different breed that just got mixed in by mistake. Photos would help

 

[donrae]

Pictures?

By defination, a black sex link rooster has to have barring, that's kind of the point of the sex being linked to the color.

How old are the birds? my two thoughts are...it's a hen reaching point of lay, or...it's a rooster of a different breed.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Pictures?

By defination, a black sex link rooster has to have barring, that's kind of the point of the sex being linked to the color.

How old are the birds? my two thoughts are...it's a hen reaching point of lay, or...it's a rooster of a different breed.

I agree.

 

[speckledhen]

All information on BYC and the internet states that Black Sex Link cockerels are similar to a barred rock pattern. The BSL rooster that I purchased with the hens fit that description. One of the "hens", it now seems is a rooster, but he looks like the hens with the exception of yellowish legs vs. black / gray and he is taller with a larger comb and wattles (as any rooster would be). Has anyone heard of or seen this before. Is it even possible genetically speaking, or was there just a mix up at the hatchery?

Dennis

Could be just a BSL hen with larger comb than the others. They are known for sometimes having large combs, at least hatchery stock is. A BSL rooster would always be barred because black sex links are hybrids, a cross of usually a Rhode Island Red rooster and Barred Rock hen, the hen passing barring to only her sons, therefore, the males have a spot on the head at hatch and the females do not, hence barring is a "sex-linked" trait.

 

[lightchick]

Quote: x2

 

[fatboysmith]

Thanks for reaffirming what I thought. I will upload a picture tomorrow evening. I have seen her/he be aggressive with the smaller hens, and my wife swears she saw it crowing. The yellow legs were throwing me off. Thanks everyone!

 

[BantamLover21]

Pictures?

By defination, a black sex link rooster has to have barring, that's kind of the point of the sex being linked to the color.

How old are the birds? my two thoughts are...it's a hen reaching point of lay, or...it's a rooster of a different breed.

x3

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks for reaffirming what I thought. I will upload a picture tomorrow evening. I have seen her/he be aggressive with the smaller hens, and my wife swears she saw it crowing. The yellow legs were throwing me off. Thanks everyone!

If you post that picture, we can tell you if it's just a BSL hen with a big comb or a mistake by the hatchery and maybe they sent you a black cockerel of some other breed.

P.S. Saw it crowing, or heard it crowing? Some folks see a bird gaping while trying to dislodge a piece of straw from their throat and think it's trying to crow.

 

[fatboysmith]

Here's the chicken in question...as you can see his/her sister to the left has a much smaller comb, but being that they're hybrid, who knows?