Pullet or Cockerel? Black Sex Link

[QueenBubbles]

What a pretty girl! Thanks insight and pix! I think my reddish one will look like yours.

She is my fav of the three littles.

 

[IBCopperhead]

I picked up BSL in March, from Heartland Hatchery Chick days told Allen, all pullets, he had them sorted out sexed or straight runs. We picked 5 different breeds that day, all so cute and nice. The BSL had a very small patch of white on chest well a few weeks later it started to crow... well somehow we ended with a roo. He is a great bird, but no roos in the city so he will be a meat bird soon. I don't blame the Hatchery those chicks were jumping around and was miss ID or a male jumped into the female box. I wil try for another BSL next time we need more chickens, loved the coloration.

 

[Michael OShay]

Black Sex Links are wonderful chickens. I have had many of them and they are friendly, docile, hardy, and great layers of large, brown eggs.

 

[Poulet des Bois]

Hi, just jumping in here,
I have what are suppose to be 2 black sex link poulets; I just noticed today that 1 has black legs, & 1 has yellow legs.
The one w/ the black legs is more black w/ copper hackles.
The one w/ yellow legs is more mixed color all over, rather like my Easter Egger.
I hope I've remembered correctly the combos.
Is it likely that they are indeed both black sex links? Is there a standard color legs for the BSL?
Thanks

 

[subhanalah]

Hi, just jumping in here,
I have what are suppose to be 2 black sex link poulets; I just noticed today that 1 has black legs, & 1 has yellow legs.
The one w/ the black legs is more black w/ copper hackles.
The one w/ yellow legs is more mixed color all over, rather like my Easter Egger.
I hope I've remembered correctly the combos.
Is it likely that they are indeed both black sex links? Is there a standard color legs for the BSL?
Thanks

it's near impossible to determine without pictures?

 

[Michael OShay]

Hi, just jumping in here,
I have what are suppose to be 2 black sex link poulets; I just noticed today that 1 has black legs, & 1 has yellow legs.
The one w/ the black legs is more black w/ copper hackles.
The one w/ yellow legs is more mixed color all over, rather like my Easter Egger.
I hope I've remembered correctly the combos.
Is it likely that they are indeed both black sex links? Is there a standard color legs for the BSL?
Thanks

There is no standard colored legs for Black Sex Links. For example, the BSLs in Murray McMurray (Black Star) and Dunlap Hatcheries catalogs have dark legs and the BSLs in Ideal Poutry and Hoover Hatcheries catalogs have yellow legs. In fact, while most Black Sex Links are RIR x Barred Rock hens, they can be produced using any barred (or cuckoo) hen such as Dominiques and Cuckoo Marans. The only standard is that they can all be sexed by color at hatching with males having a white spot on top of their black heads and females being all black. The adult roosters will be barred (or cuckoo) and the adult hens will be black with some red feathering (in varying amounts) on the neck.

 

[QueenBubbles]

Thanks again for the pictures and info. I'm glad to see the beautiful markings on the adults. I didn't really chose the breed - it was simple availability at the feed store. My 6 week pullet was going to need a new flock when Henny/Henry starts crowing in a couple months. I should have followed the advice of starting with 3 babies, not 2!!

 

[subhanalah]

Thanks again for the pictures and info. I'm glad to see the beautiful markings on the adults. I didn't really chose the breed - it was simple availability at the feed store. My 6 week pullet was going to need a new flock when Henny/Henry starts crowing in a couple months. I should have followed the advice of starting with 3 babies, not 2!!

should really go with six to start, IMO...I got three, wound up with one because two were boys, fortunately I bought a gold sex link as "insurance" a week after I brought the original three home.

 

[lightchick]

There is no standard colored legs for Black Sex Links. For example, the BSLs in Murray McMurray (Black Star) and Dunlap Hatcheries catalogs have dark legs and the BSLs in Ideal Poutry and Hoover Hatcheries catalogs have yellow legs. In fact, while most Black Sex Links are RIR x Barred Rock hens, they can be produced using any barred (or cuckoo) hen such as Dominiques and Cuckoo Marans. The only standard is that they can all be sexed by color at hatching with males having a white spot on top of their black heads and females being all black. The adult roosters will be barred (or cuckoo) and the adult hens will be black with some red feathering (in varying amounts) on the neck.

Black sex links from IDEAL actually do have black legs. I got mine from IDEAL.
See her legs? In the second pic you can't but just thought I'd put that pic in too.

 

[Michael OShay]

Black sex links from IDEAL actually do have black legs. I got mine from IDEAL.
See her legs? In the second pic you can't but just thought I'd put that pic in too.

Interesting! The one they have pictured in their catalog (and it is clearly a BSL) has yellow legs. But once again, your bird proves my point--there is no standard leg color for BSLs.