red sex link/unknown age/ possibly a roo?

[pattihumbert]

Please don't laugh if this is obvious! I am a new chicken mama! I had 8 chicks last fall, and they were all slaughtered by a weasel. A friend knew I was building a new bombproof coop and asked me if I wanted to take in three chickens of his who were semi-crippled and would end up getting killed by the rest of his flock. They are two black sex links and one red sex link. I feel suspicious that the red is a male. I only have one picture so far but I can take more if needed. The red one ruffled out it's neck feathers when my dogs were barking at it, if that helps you to tell anything?

 

[orumpoultry]

The RSL def looks like a roo to me.

 

[Americana]

X 2 Cockerel

That was nice of you to rescue them though. They don't look crippled to me?

 

[Americana]

Is he considering them crippled because they have curled toes? Lots of times that happens during incubation, a problem with the humidity
If that indeed is the problem, I don't know

 

[pattihumbert]

The red one walks very "knock kneed". The two black ones just seem to have curved "toes" but I think they walk OK. The will be spoiled, but the roo is going to have to go. I live in a subdivision, no way I can keep a roo. But at least I saved two of them!

 

[Americana]

Thank you! You have done a rescue, the girls are gonna have a great life! Nice! I hope you can find a home for the cockerel
(or a soup pot) No! I am kidding. The only ones destined for a soup pot here at my place are the aggressive ones.
Awesome and good luck!

 

[ChickChickChicky]

I am definitely not a chicken expert, but I don't see any sign the the red sex link is a rooster. It may have a large red comb, but most red sex link hens do (mine do, look at the girl in my avatar picture, her comb's so big it flops over). There are no long hackle or tail feathers to signal it as a roo, and it is a basic red color (which in sex links the females are red and the males usually white).

Ruffing out the neck feathers doesn't mean it's a rooster, all chickens are capable of "puffing up" and even charging at a perceived threat.

Here's a good picture of a red sex link rooster https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/233991/who-wants-to-test-my-shipping-skills

 

[pattihumbert]

That sounds reassuring. I will try to look for saddle feathers and tail feathers tomorrow. It would be nice if they were all girls. I will definitely be spoiling them. Their domain includes the area where my nice compost heap is so they should have lots of worms to peck for. My son is graduating from a construction trades program, and while he is concentrating on plumbing, he has learned enough about construction to be a big help. But I am very proud that I built my coop 95% myself and without plans. The walls are almost 2" thick. Nothing should be able to get in there!

 

[donrae]

The coloring says too to me, but a nice profile shot would help. It's not a red sex-link, btw, hen or roo.

 

[pattihumbert]

I will take more pictures tomorrow and post them. Thanks all for the input! And- if the red is not a sex-link, I'd like to know what she/she might be....