Roo or Hen?? (Pictures) Somewhat Scrawny Black Sex-Link

[Gigi1147]

Hello Everyone, I have had my chickens for about 5 months now, and there is this tiny, skinny, light, little chicken that is just adorable. But I am unsure of its gender. It is so scrawny it seems like. It is a Black Sex-Link, named Carter.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It is a hen. A Black sex link hen. Black sex links are sexed by color...the sex determines the color.

They are a hybrid from a red based roo (often Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire) and a Barred hen (often a Barred Rock).

The sex of the chicks can be determined from hatching. Males are black with a white head dot representing the barring gene and will become barred roosters. The females are all black as chicks and as they mature often get red "bleed through" such as yours shows.

She is a mature female that should be laying as that is a large red comb. As to why she is smaller...I'm not sure. Sometimes there is a "runt" in the clutch and maybe you simply got one of those. Black Sex Links are not huge birds but more of medium size anyway.

Enjoy your hen.

Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: She might be a banty...sort of a midget size bird. I don't think of Black Sex Links as banty's but I suppose its possible if one or both of the parents were Banty size.

 

[flockman]

Hen.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

pullet

 

[Wishapup]

Definitely a Black Sex-Link pullet. This is what LF look like:





She looks pretty small but has that distinctive gold leakage, as illustrated in the birds above.

 

[roostersandhens]

Female

 

[donrae]

Absolutely a female, and looks like you should be getting nice brown eggs from her.

 

[Gigi1147]

Thank you! I have four other Black sex links and get about 2-3 eggs from them a day, they just started laying about three weeks ago. Thank you so very much.