My crazy...leghorn cockerel

[Beccazon]

Anyone have any comments as to why my once perfectly white leghorn (3 1/2 months) decided to start turning...rainbow? Lol started about a month ago. I think he is really kinda pretty now with his odd fawn neck and patches and the random red and black feathers (check out the black booty feather I keep thinking is poo lmao). Up close even 3 feathers are black and white striped. Clearly he is not pure blood but is he likely a particular cross or is he just a funky cool mutt? He is also permanently separated from the flag while I find him a home because he is a hormonal jerk and very unpleasant to the rest of the flock. Human safe but not flock friendly.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

You have a Red Sex Link cockerel.

 

[Beccazon]

Well WTF lol

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Did you buy him at Tractor Supply co?

 

[Beccazon]

Did you buy him at Tractor Supply co?

How did you guess? Rofl

 

[Beccazon]

Wasn't worried about having purebreds but geez NOTHING I have gotten from there is anything but mutts or strange! Family Farm and Home is where I will get mine from now on. They source from a better local hatchery and have a terrific selection and you get what you EXPECT. At least at our local one.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

How did you guess? Rofl

Unfortunately many farm stores mix up or mislabel the breeds they sell.

 

[cstephens1987]

Looks like a gold sex link to me

 

[Beccazon]

So then, as a newbie to breeds, how do I tell he is a SL? Should I expect he will change color even more? I know SL were bred as a cross so their coloring and "purity" is subject to oddities when not from a strong reputable hatchery. But not knowing breeds very well, how does a person dub this guy a SL? What makes you look and say Sex Link?

 

[cstephens1987]

So then, as a newbie to breeds, how do I tell he is a SL? Should I expect he will change color even more? I know SL were bred as a cross so their coloring and "purity" is subject to oddities when not from a strong reputable hatchery. But not knowing breeds very well, how does a person dub this guy a SL? What makes you look and say Sex Link?

White cockerels with leaky hackles and saddles (and often wing bars) are indicative of the sex link crossing. A red or buff rooster will be put over a white hen such as a deleware. Since white is dominant over these colors but can only be passed to male offspring by the hen, the result is pullets that look like the father with a bit of white leakage and cockerels that look like the mother with a bit of color leakage from the father (gold or red). The exact color of the offspring relies a lot on which specific pairings of parent stock are used and is what spins of a lot of designer sex link variations like cinnamon queen, golden comet, etc.