Rooster Left, Eggs Stopped!

[ANelson726]

This is my first time posting on here, but I have been reading for months, soaking up all the great tips you have. I'm hoping someone can help me out here!

We got our first chicks in April, they are about 18 weeks now. We have a golden sexlink, a buff orpington, a black australorp, and an ameraucana. Last week, I was getting suspicious of our golden sexlink. I started to see what looked like spurs, and she/he was getting rather vocal. I took a photo to the chicken expert at our local feed store where we purchased the chicks. She confirmed that our sexlink was indeed a rooster. Big bummer because we are not allowed to keep a rooster due to city ordinances.

A few days later we got our first egg! So excited! We went three days in a row, and then sent our Rooster off to his new home on a farm. Suddenly, no eggs. It has been three days with no egg in sight.

So my questions for you..

#1 Do you think I gave away a hen instead of a rooster?
#2 If he was indeed a rooster, will my hens lay again soon?


18 Week old Golden Sexlink - Young Rooster?


Sexlink on the left. Remaining three 18 week old pullets.


Closeup of Golden Sexlink


Our first egg! Yay! Not in the nest box of course.. buggers..

 

[locoguru]

That was the hen you sent off.

 

[poultrylubber]

Sorry to say but you did send off a hen. Red Sex-link males are a completely different color than the females and by the color of the chicken you got rid of it's a girl. All my females have what look like spurs but the aren't (I was worried that some of my pullets were boys when I saw these bumps on there legs but they didn't get any bigger than bumps) And all my girls have gotten quite laud since they have reached laying age. I think why your eggs have stopped is because you gave away the chicken that was laying it
This is a picture of my red sex-link (or golden sex-link) hen.

 

[locoguru]

Hopefully you can get your hen back. It would have been proper for them to tell you that it was a hen when you took it there.

 

[ANelson726]

Thank you everyone! I called the feed store and she informed me that she noticed her mistake, but had already given my chicken away to a farm in the area. I asked her to call the farm to try to get her back. We will see what happens. I was so upset when I realized the mistake we had both made. This is my first time raising chickens, so I trusted her expertise and unfortunately learned my lesson. Praying the other party is willing to give my sweet chicken back! I have really bonded with these girls. It was hard to give her up.

 

[bluegrasslady]

It seems like people get really hung up on comb/wattle size when trying to sex young chickens. Some hens just have bigger combs and wattles. The best indicator is feathering. Males get pointy saddle feathers and long sickle shaped feathers in the tail.

 

[ANelson726]

Thank you for your help everyone! Thankfully I was able to get her back. She is home, but she has been quarantined in a dog crate because we are dealing with some respiratory problems. It appears she picked up a bug or some sort at the other farm.