White patches on head...

[a123andpoof]

So just hatched some chicks the father is a barred rock and the momma is black sex link. All three babies have white spots on their heads. I know in the sex links a white spot means roo, but it can go either way with the barred rock. Do you think they could be hens or do i probably have all roos? I want to make them friendly, but I don't want to get attached if they happen to be roos since they will go to the stew pot. They will be 1 week Monday and Tuesday. Has anyone ever done this cross before and if so were all the chicks born with a white spot on head?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

All the offspring should be barred. You'll not be able to tell sex by coloring as the hen was a hybrid (one time cross for sex link). The easiest way to tell sex for you would be by leg size, stance and at 1.5 weeks old the females will have far more wing feathering than the males.

 

[a123andpoof]

So they will have barring patterns but be mutts. I like the sound of that. I can only hope they got their daddys personalitys

Could you tell me what a barred rock, and red sex link would look like? The same? Different?

also I knew you wouldn't be able to tell by coloring, just wondering if the spots had anything to do with sex as I have heard a few different things regarding that.

 

[a123andpoof]

So if my babies at one week have little to no feathering, and are still very fluffy?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Because they are mixed the typical tell of head spot shape for barred Rocks wont hold true. In a few more days to week your birds will start to get wing feathers, females feather faster. By the time the males get one row of primary wing feathers the females have two rows and will start showing pin feathers on tail.

 

[a123andpoof]

Okay thanks for that info. If only sexing silkies was that easy lol