Male or Female, Australorp or Sexlink

[RubberChickenLubber]

I probably sound like the dumbest chicken owner in the world, but I have no clue.

I bought some chicks back at the beginning of November and was told this was a sexlink pullet. I noticed it looked identical to my australorps, but had heard that sexlinks can. Today I went out to feed them, and this one was mating my pullets. I am totally and utterly confused. It is missing some of the middle tail feathers (maybe to desguise itself

).

 

[Matt A NC]

Looks like an australorp cockerel

 

[RubberChickenLubber]

That's what I'm leaning toward. I'll have to contact the person I bought them from and find out if it's possible that it's an australorp.

 

[65browneyes]

I have Australorps and Sex Links. Both have huge, stand-up, gorgeous red combs and wattles. They're all hens, and Ethel, my sex link is alpha hen in the flock. I've always heard that rule of thumb for these breeds is brown/red on chest and in eyes is a sex link. No brown or red on chest and black eyes is an australorp.

If your's (I agree it's an australorp) is a hen, I'm not sure what to think of the mating issue, except perhaps she's the alpha in your flock?? Please keep us posted. I'm curious as to how it turns out for you.

Here's a not so great shot of Ethel, the sex link.

 

[zippychickens]

Is a sexlink a breed of chicken?

 

[speckledhen]

A sexlink is a hybrid of two breeds where you can tell male from female at hatch by color.

 

[nccountrygirl]

One of my Black Sex Links is my avatar

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I dunno. Looks like one of my sexlink pullets. They all have fairly large combs but trust me they are all females. I've seen them all lay eggs. I've also seen one or two of them grab my RIR's but the neck and jump on their backs like they were going to mate with them. No roo here. Maybe they are, ah, frustrated

 

[scgamecock]

All of my black and gold sexlinks have a fairly high comb nad longer than usual wattles.