Roosters in town and sex links

[leighks]

Here is my black sex link “hen”. I got this one from a small family hatchery at 2 days old, and he looked exactly like a black sex link pullet chick- no white spot on head to indicate this was a male. I can have roosters where I am so it wasn’t a problem, but obviously this was an oops breeding and mistakes happen.

 

[bigz1983]

View attachment 1845688 Here is my black sex link “hen”. I got this one from a small family hatchery at 2 days old, and he looked exactly like a black sex link pullet chick- no white spot on head to indicate this was a male. I can have roosters where I am so it wasn’t a problem, but obviously this was an oops breeding and mistakes happen.

I wonder what that hatchery did to mess that up?
It doesn't look like a black sex link rooster to me.
I think they gave you the wrong breed?
Here is one of my black sex link roosters.
They look just like a pure bred barred rock rooster

 

[keesmom]

I like bantams and may have them again, but now I am into silkies which are a part the bantam breed. The answer is not to buy sexed standard chicks next time instead of bantams. If you like bantams like me buy sexed bantams.

For those who want sexed bantams you have 2 choices. MPC offers sexed bantams, at an additional cost of $10 or so per chick. Cackle Hatchery also offers sexed bantams of certain breeds with an 80% accuracy guarantee - Buff Brahma, Dominique, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red, Crele Old English, Barred Cochin, Barred Old English Game, Golden Laced Cochin and/or Red Cochin Bantams.

 

[Aunt Angus]

For those who want sexed bantams you have 2 choices. MPC offers sexed bantams, at an additional cost of $10 or so per chick. Cackle Hatchery also offers sexed bantams of certain breeds with an 80% accuracy guarantee - Buff Brahma, Dominique, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red, Crele Old English, Barred Cochin, Barred Old English Game, Golden Laced Cochin and/or Red Cochin Bantams.

I suggest not ordering mixed bantam and LF. I did that earlier this year with promises from the hatchery that the bantams would be fine. The bantams all died. Later, when I called about the losses, they told me that it's risky to ship them together. I should have known, but I trusted the hatchery....

 

[bigz1983]

View attachment 1845688 Here is my black sex link “hen”. I got this one from a small family hatchery at 2 days old, and he looked exactly like a black sex link pullet chick- no white spot on head to indicate this was a male. I can have roosters where I am so it wasn’t a problem, but obviously this was an oops breeding and mistakes happen.

I think you have a silver laced wyandotte rooster with a straight comb

 

[bigz1983]

Are you stirring the pot or just being judgemental? We are new to raising chickens and bought four bantam chicks this spring. We wound up with two roosters. Would I do things differently next time and buy sexed standard chicks instead of bantams? Yes.

I made the best decision I could at the time. Your judgement only makes me feel worse about the situation.

Stirring the pot I guess...
I have made mistakes too..
The first chickens we bought were 4 golden campines from a local breeder.
I thought to avoid getting roosters I would get point of lay pullets aged old enough to
gender for a extra price than straight run chicks.

Well the breeder screwed me over and sold me all 4 roosters.
When I arrived to pick them up I saw them and said,
"These look like Roosters"

Then the owner said,
"These are golden campines they all look like roosters, because the breed has a large comb, even the females do"
So being a newbie I trusted her..
Then they all started crowing.

The next of chickens we bought I was hell bent on never getting screwed again..
So I started to learn about how to gender them, sex-link and auto-sexing breeds.

We got 6 week old barred rocks from a different local breeder.
6 weeks is 100% accuracy for barred rocks and they were only $5 each.
We did our research on how to gender them ahead of time and we came home with sure fire pullets.
I was so happy and they are great chickens.
They have all quality's I wanted broodiness, dual purpose and they are auto-sexing.

 

[leighks]

I wonder what that hatchery did to mess that up?
It doesn't look like a black sex link rooster to me.
I think they gave you the wrong breed?
Here is one of my black sex link roosters.
They look just like a pure bred barred rock rooster
View attachment 1845762

When I contact the hatchery, they said didn’t know how the mix up happened but clearly something wasn’t right! Based on what Roos were at the hatchery at the time, their best guess was that he’s a Marans/ Wyandotte mix. He has some muddled lacing on his chest

 

[bigz1983]

When I contact the hatchery, they said didn’t know how the mix up happened but clearly something wasn’t right! Based on what Roos were at the hatchery at the time, their best guess was that he’s a Marans/ Wyandotte mix. He has some muddled lacing on his chest
View attachment 1846802

Ok I saw the lacing on the chest so I figured he was at least part silver laced wyandotte.
But don't most silver laced wyandottes have a rose comb?
Maybe that's why he has a straight comb from the Maran in him?

 

[leighks]

Ok I saw the lacing on the chest so I figured he was at least part silver laced wyandotte.
But don't most silver laced wyandottes have a rose comb?
Maybe that's why he has a straight comb from the Maran in him?

Yes Wyandottes do have a rose comb, and his is certainly not! Who knows what he is, maybe even a sex link hen was bred to a sex link roo, which would NOT result in true sex link chicks. Luckily for my roo it’s a moot point, he is legal where we are and although I wasn’t necessarily planning on getting a roo, he’s good to have around.

 

[Cryss]

My breeder guarentees gender. If you end up with a male he will swap it out for a female. I had a Lavender Orpington that turned out to be a cockerel. Because he cost me more my breeder let me decide between another Lavender Orpington pullet or 2 pullets of some of his less costly breeds. I took a SLW and an EE. When a second LO turned out to be male I decided to keep him. My breeder was shocked that he made such a mistake not once but twice! He said he still owed me a pullet and gave me my choice of breed. I don't add single birds to a flock so I bought my free bird a buddy. Chicken math strikes again. I will stick with this breeder not because he's perfect at discerning chicken sexes but because of his honest business practices.