Ideal order of chicks

[braindead101]

Box arrived from Ideal. Since part of the order had black chicks dd asked if there was any way to know which were her black sex link. Gal at Ideal said we'd be able to tell which they were. Since it was a small order Ideal included packing peanuts. There are 9 black chicks in this box. How are we supposed to know which are the sex link cockerels?

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

I read the other day the black sex links have some red on their heads. Let me see if I can find what I was reading..

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

I should have said the Males have red on them.. I'm looking for that article.

 

[braindead101]

There is one that appears to have a bit of brown on the head. All of them have some light yellow on their bodies. A few have what appears to be darkened legs, like maybe they will be blue or black shanked later.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Here it is.. Hope this helps. And I had it wrong.. it's the opposite.

"Black Sex-Links are produced using a Barred Rock as the mother. Both sexes hatch out black, but the males have a white dot on their heads. Pullets feather out black with some red in neck feathers. Males feather out with the Barred Rock pattern along with a few red feathers. Black Sex-Links are often referred to as Rock Reds."

 

[braindead101]

How do you differentiate from other breeds that hatch out black with yellow patches? We don't want to raise these birds for months only to find out they won't even make freezer fillers.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

So then the cockerels should have a spec of white on the head. I'm hoping you have one of those?

 

[braindead101]

Thanks for the help. I'll have dd check them really close tomorrow.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

What other breed did you get besides the sex links. (which are excellent egg layers by the way.)

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

If you can't figure it out, go back to the Ideal Website and it gives you a physical description of the chicks.

Black sex link male = white dot on head
Females are all black.