Please help a newbie from having a heartbroken 4 year old

[jodiebay]

My daughter's preschool class hatched eggs and we got the chicks. I realize that some of these chicks are bound to be roosters - and I am not allowed to have one. My daughter and one particular chick LOVE each other and I fear what will happen if it's a boy - she will be heartbroken when we have to get rid of him. So if I think there's a good chance that it is male, I'll start pushing one of the store bought pullets on her now to make it easier later. All I was told about breed is that the eggs came from a farm in upstate NY and that there were a variety of breeds there and for sure RIR (hen or roo, I don't know) and that there are some brown and some white(ish) eggs in the incubator but don't know which one this chick came out of. So I would assume it has to be cold-hardy good egg laying breeds, otherwise I can't imagine why a farmer would have them. The chick is 5 and 6 days old in the pictures, so I won't be surprised if way too young to make a good guess. If so, when should I repost pics to get a better guess? Also any suggestions on breed(s) would be appreciated.
Thanks so much - keeping my fingers crossed that "Apple" is a girl!!

 

[ramirezframing]

to young try at 4 to 5 weeks hope Apple is a girl for you guys

 

[jodiebay]

Thanks! This wait may be as hard as the wait for the eggs to hatch!

 

[jodiebay]

I have another question...3 of the chicks are black, one solid black, and the other 2 in this picture. I've been assuming that the one on the left with the dot on it's head is a male black sex-link because of the dot, the solid black one a female sex link, and the one with the white chest I don't know what to make of. Is that being presumptuous being that I don't know what the parents are? Some of my yellow chicks have black dots on them, so could this just be the reverse or just what to expect from mutts?

 

[BlazeJester]

There is no "reverse" to barring. Your black chick does look like a black sex link, but the other looks like a barred rock female. Dark, dark down, small head spot and a dark wash down the front of the legs.

I don't know what to make of the white chick in front; is that what you mean by the "one with the white chest"?

 

[fried green eggs]

Apple is featherig out pretty fast at 5 days - thats a good sign that it might be a hen? My hatchery RIR pullets got wing and tail feathers much faster than the little roosters. Farmers for production layers will usually get hatchery chicks and many of those can be wing sexed. Hope it's a little hen and your daughter will get to keep her new friend. I gave my 4 yr old grand-daughter the job of getting all the chicks I have, tame and good about being pick up and now she has several that come up to her be picked up and petted.

 

[jodiebay]

The one I mean with the white chest is the black one that is behind the yellow/whitish one. It's chest and belly is white, and it's legs look the same as the black chick on the left, which threw me for a loop since I thought I had this sex-link thing understood (which apparently I don't) Which one did you mean by the one that looks like a barred rock female? The one on the left with the dot? We've been calling that one "the boy" - back to my thinking I understood sex link. But I'll be so excited - I was hoping for a barred rock hen since I think they look so neat!

 

[fried green eggs]

I agree - The black chick with the small white dot on the head - barred rock pullet. The black with no dot a sex-link pullet? Yellow chick?

 

[jodiebay]

Thanks Fried Green Eggs - I have my kids spend time with the chicks every day in hopes that the chicks will grow up to be friendly to the,. My 2 yr old may never get a hen friend though- he hasn't mastered being quiet enough or not squirmy enough to have the chicks want to get anywhere close to him.

(I didn't know they made emoticons of my 2 year old)

 

[fried green eggs]

Yes lol. Well the chicks may give your 2 yr old a reason to move slower and quieter to gain a friend