My 6 week old Black Australorps are not so black???

[jdgrell]

Hi all,

About 6 weeks ago we got 2 Black Australorps females from our local feed store. Their feathers are now in and they are not all black. Their heads, hackles and the upper part of the breasts have black feathers laced with a good amount of brown. I would estimate that 25% of these upper feathers are laced in this manner and the rest are black. Their backs and wings are pure black with a green sheen (the color I would have expected on the whole bird). Also, their legs are green, not black like I expected.

So, will these first feathers molt out and be replaced by black? Or do I have some sort of mixed breed or a different breed altogether?

They are very interesting to look at and are full of personality. I will post a picture soon.

Thx!

 

[EweSheep]

You might have gotten some Black Sex Links.

 

[jdgrell]

Thanks! Your are right. Looked up pictures of Black Sex Links and they are identical.

They look good when they are grown!

 

[Kim_NC]

Sorry the breed was not what you intended to buy. However, a Black Sexlnk is a great layer. They're usually friendly too.

You'll have lots of eggs!

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

At least, now you know that they're both definitely females. A male sexlink would look totally different.

We bought some 1 month old "golden laced wyandottes" from our feed store - guess what! - they ended up being black sex links also. They're 4 months old now and very friendly.