ISA Brown question

[Copperbottom]

I realize they are very young but when the chicks are born the boys are white I dont know HOW white they


are supposed to be. If a boy is buff do they grow in lighter feathers? This one is bigger, bully'er, and lighter more than dark. To young to tell yet?

 

[Cowgirl71]

Assuming you got these from a hatchery (i.e. they're not home-hatched F2s), that's lookin' like a lil' roo.

When mature roosters are colored like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/825649/what-gender-is-my-golden-comet/10 (last post)

 

[Wyandottes7]

If that's a true Isa Brown, it probably is a cockerel.

 

[Copperbottom]

Picked them up at Rural King so who knows =). I keep an eye on "it" and see. "it" just looks lighter than the others whos feathers are coming in brown, "its" is just coming in buff. If its one out of 6 Ill be happy. Its like Christmas wondering what you end up with. And yes, this is my first experience with chicks lol. Thanks for the thoughts!

 

[BantamLover21]

If that's a true Isa Brown, it probably is a cockerel.

x2

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Picked them up at Rural King so who knows =). I keep an eye on "it" and see. "it" just looks lighter than the others whos feathers are coming in brown, "its" is just coming in buff. If its one out of 6 Ill be happy. Its like Christmas wondering what you end up with. And yes, this is my first experience with chicks lol. Thanks for the thoughts!

When you selected them was this chick lighter in color than the rest at that point as well? They are a sex link, and when they hatch females are reddish and males are white - the whole selling point of sex links being that they are so easily sexed.

 

[Copperbottom]

They all looked the same to be honest. I just wasn't sure if the boys were true white or
a buff color. I was hoping they wear all girls since they are a sex-link. I can't find a good pic to compare boys and girls at a week old.

 

[Michael OShay]

If that's a true Isa Brown, it probably is a cockerel.

X3. Isa Brown is one of many labels under which some hatcheries market their Red Sex Links. Red Sex Links are produced by crossing a red gene rooster (RIR, NHR, or Production Red) with a silver gene hen (WR, RIW, SLW, Delaware, or Light Sussex) and the resulting offspring can be sexed by color at hatching (males are whitish, females are reddish). As the birds grow, the males will remain white, but will likely begin to show some reddish feathers in the saddle area. Females will remain reddish but will develop white underfluff, so you should be able to easily sex them at any age. No matter what labels Red Sex Links are marketed under, the hens are egg laying machines, outlaying either parent breed. It is one of the interesting quirks of hybridization.

 

[donrae]

Is it the same bird in both pics? If so, I'm going to hold out hope for a pullet. I'm seeing red feathers coming in on the breast, and that's a place the rsl cockerels won't have color as a rule.

 

[Michael OShay]

Is it the same bird in both pics? If so, I'm going to hold out hope for a pullet. I'm seeing red feathers coming in on the breast, and that's a place the rsl cockerels won't have color as a rule.

It could be. It's really an odd colored chick for a Red Sex Link though. That has me wondering if it's truly a Red Sex Link chick.