Sex linked hen turned out to be a rooster?!

[georgejlee]

A few weeks ago one of my Golden Sex Linked hens turned out to be a rooster! Has anyone had this happen to them before? I thought sex-linked chicks should be pretty easy to sex? See my profile picture, that's the chicken I'm talking about. It started out brownish and turned out mostly white with some brown flecks. It started crowing a few weeks ago at about 4 months of age. We turned him into chicken soup over Christmas...

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC, again. I just greeted you on your other thread. ) As I explained on the other thread, A gender mix up like that should not happen with sex links, which can be easily sexed by color at hatching. Golden Sex Link is one of many labels under which some hatcheries market their Red Sex Links, and the chicks are easily distinguished (male chicks are whitish, female chicks are reddish). I'm sorry you ended up with an unwanted rooster.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yes, indeed that is a GSL male.

While it should be very clear at the hatchery, as the coloring is sexed, with the lighter GSL vs. the little darker RSL, the female chicks can be yellow with a brush of orange on their head and typically back, while more clearly marked ones are half reddish. The males should be all yellow with no reddish-gold whatsoever.

Probably this male simply got scooped up in the batch without anyone looking too closely, or he had just a touch of red on him that masked he was a male. Hatcheries can make a mistake.

It is always good to take photos of the male/female chicks before you go to the feed store. I've had lots of mis-identified birds there, and always double check the staff....depending upon the store.

Hope he made good soup.

Lady of McCamley

Male vs. Female Gold Sex Link
http://www.cacklehatchery.com/images/afi300.JPG

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Golden-Buff-Red-Star-p224.aspx

 

[donrae]

Sex links are fairly easy to sex, but you still have to know what you're looking for. Some folks seem under the misconception that all sex links hatch as female and you don't have to actually sex them.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

On reading your post more closely...I was thinking feed store sale, and yes that would have been the proper chick color for a GSL...did you get the GSL at a feed store or a chicken swap?

Some people mistakenly try to breed a GSL male to a GSL female thinking they will get GSL sexed chicks and sell them as such....the second generation will NOT color code per sex....ALL the second generation chicks some out with red coloring over yellow, so you have a straight run (non-sexed) chicks.

Lady of McCamley

 

[BantamLover21]

Sex links are fairly easy to sex, but you still have to know what you're looking for. Some folks seem under the misconception that all sex links hatch as female and you don't have to actually sex them.

x2

 

[Wyandottes7]

Sex links are fairly easy to sex, but you still have to know what you're looking for. Some folks seem under the misconception that all sex links hatch as female and you don't have to actually sex them.

X3