Question for distraction...Black sex links...

[ChooksChick]

I'm trying to distract myself from the eggs a broody walked away from that are in a makeshift incubator of hot water, heating pad, plastic shoebox, and lots of washcloths...

My neighbor has what is supposed to be a black sex link, but it's a hatchery bird, and this feed store has a huge problem with people (and staff) mixing the chicks up within the bins...

His bird is all black with some red/brown accent in the neck and hackle area. it's supposed to be a pullet. It has black legs and feet, black beak, solid black comb, and is super sweet. I'm not sure what I'd find if I looked under its wings, but it won't let us catch it, so that's not a possibility.

Is this known to happen ever with sex links? What else could it be?


I'm going to get some pics up to further my distraction from the peeping pipper who won't do anything to help itself...driving me nuts to NOT HELP!!!!!

 

[Fruit Juice]

Sound like a black sex-link to me! Pics would help tho.

 

[ChooksChick]

I can't find the cable to hook up my phone...blasted teenagers...

So, it's not uncommon for so much black skin in a sex link? Interesting! It's not what the Henderson's page or Featherlink list, to my knowledge, so I thought something weird was going on.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

There's a lot of variation with how much red/brown the black sex-links have on their feathering and one of mine even had a black comb & wattles when it was young.

This pic shows the black comb & wattles:

This pic is shows two BSLs - differing degrees of red/brown feathering and one with the pink comb, one with black comb.

This is the pullet that was pictured above with a black comb - her comb/wattles are mostly pink/red now - her legs have always been dark. The totally black pullet in the background is also a BSL - all 3 of ours have different coloring.

I have pictures of all 3 pullets all grown up here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=19548-our-black-stars-sexlinks

 

[ChooksChick]

Fantastic! Now...who can tell me what happens when you breed 2 of these? I don't think they're supposed to breed true, but what does the offspring look like?

I ask because the skin on his is *SO* black, and solidly so, that I wonder if there's a way to perpetuate that coloration. I know there's been interest shown in super-black chickens in the states...it's just a whim...

His bird is just like those, but very little red in the feathering. It's the same pattern, just scant.

Curiosity would get me a thousand projects if I lived in the country and had lots of time and money!!!


BTW, AZ, I can't for the life of me figure out how you folks down there keep these birds alive- I used to live in Casa Grande and have relatives in Sun City- the heat and sun are killer...but it's a dry heat...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

BTW, AZ, I can't for the life of me figure out how you folks down there keep these birds alive- I used to live in Casa Grande and have relatives in Sun City- the heat and sun are killer...but it's a dry heat...

Yeah--we hear that all the time. My oven is a dry heat, too!

Plenty of shade and cool water. Misters help, as do frozen bottles of water to cool the area and give them a cool place to lie down. Gradual acclimatization; keep chicks inside until feathered if it gets over 100 degrees.

I know a few lucky folks (and their chickens) who have evap coolers for their coops!​