Isa Brown, Roo or Hen??

[Buffmom]

This is our newly acquired Isa Brown, age 3-4 months. The person we got it from thought it was a roo--which is what we are hoping for since we already have 7 hens. However, we will keep him/her either way. So, what do you think? Roo or hen? Thank you!

 

[Fred's Hens]

The ISA Brown is a Sex Link. They are different colors, at hatch, for sexing. The pullets are reddish and the cockerels are mostly white. Here's a male above.

So, you tell me. What sex is the bird you posted? LOL

 

[Fred's Hens]

By the way, Welcome to BYC!! So glad to have you aboard.

Since your bird will be laying wonderful, large brown eggs in just a week or two, you'll enjoy her very, very much.

 

[Buffmom]

Hi Fred, Thanks for the welcome and also for the response. What you said mad sense. I understand what you said the if it is a sex-link (which Isa Browns are)....that the sex is tied to the color. But what if it's not a pure Isa brown? We didn't get it from a breeder and they thought it was an Isa Brown but weren't sure. If the lineage has been polluted, mightn't you get a red rooster as a possibility?

 

[donrae]

Hi Fred, Thanks for the welcome and also for the response. What you said mad sense. I understand what you said the if it is a sex-link (which Isa Browns are)....that the sex is tied to the color. But what if it's not a pure Isa brown? We didn't get it from a breeder and they thought it was an Isa Brown but weren't sure. If the lineage has been polluted, mightn't you get a red rooster as a possibility?

You're right, but then it isn't really an Isa, it's just a mixed breed. Any second generation sex link bird loses the sex-linkage, so all bets are off. If that bird is 3 months old, it could quite well be a male. I've had 16 week old sex link hens have red combs and lay, so it's really hard to say. The color does look like the classic first generation hen, though. Second generation birds usually have a little different patterns from what I've seen here, more random. Let us see pics again in a month or so?

 

[Buffmom]

Hi, thanks again. I am thinking it looks a ,lot like the pics online of first generation Isa. And it reminds me a lot of our red star hens last year. It is probably a hen. My hubby keeps saying things like, "look how it struts." He really wants it to be a roo. But I remember a couple of our hens strutting last year and we thought one of them would be a roo...but it wasn't. I guess if we want a rooster, we will have to get an older one that at least has started crowing. I do still like her though. She is very docile and sweet-natured. She's a keeper! Thank you!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Cockerel.

 

[Flockking]

This is our newly acquired Isa Brown, age 3-4 months. The person we got it from thought it was a roo--which is what we are hoping for since we already have 7 hens. However, we will keep him/her either way. So, what do you think? Roo or hen? Thank you!

So what did she turn out to be ?
I'm very curious

 

[Painted Calls]

So what did she turn out to be ?
I'm very curious

The OP of this thread hasn't been on since 2015.

I can tell you though that at 3-4 months old, that bird was a cockerel.

 

[Flockking]

The OP of this thread hasn't been on since 2015.

I can tell you though that at 3-4 months old, that bird was a cockerel.

Yh, because I have something similar although he's not fully grown it's obvious his a roo