What breed is this?

I picked up two layers yesterday, one RIR, and another one I cant identify. I basically rescued them from an irresponsible owner who had like 50 birds in a filthy 10x10 ... lets call it a coop. Fed with cheap cracked corn.

RIR is all right, she is alert and unfortunately quite flighty (none of the birds in group were used to humans).

The unknown one is a different story, she (or is it he?! Look at the spurs!) is super-extra calm, does not as much as take a step back when you approach to pick her up, but she is hysterically afraid of RIR, who does not even try to dominate her. Runs screaming if RIR gets to within 10 feet. My other 2 happy chickens (Ameraucanas) seem to not mind the new company (but god knows, its only been a day).

Anyway, I'd really appreciate help identifying the breed, (and possibly the sex?!) The owner said she lays "elongated brown eggs". Right now she is molting, (and boy does she stink, almost ready to give her a bath), so no eggs expected, but look at those spurs, I cant believe I did not see them (again, it was hard to concentrate in that environment). Did I get a rooster?

Thanks!

To me it looks like my barnyard mixes.. My young ones look like that. I say a hen. Sorry I'm not much help.

Not a rooster, it's a mature hen. A rooster old enough to have spurs that large would be quite obvious in other ways, hackle and saddle feathers, comb, overall shape and size. I think she's a barnyard mix.

It's too late to quarantine now, but have you looked them over for external parasites? I agree this girl is probably molting, but from the conditions you described you just opened your current birds up to a world of new and exciting parasites

donrae said:

Not a rooster, it's a mature hen. A rooster old enough to have spurs that large would be quite obvious in other ways, hackle and saddle feathers, comb, overall shape and size. I think she's a barnyard mix.

It's too late to quarantine now, but have you looked them over for external parasites? I agree this girl is probably molting, but from the conditions you described you just opened your current birds up to a world of new and exciting parasites

Click to expand...

X2 on donrae's post.

Ah, I know this breed! They're usually sold as Golden Lakenvelders, but technically there is no such thing - they're an enlarged and somewhat mixed Vorwerk Bantam carried by some hatcheries. I had a lovely one of these a few years back - Claire. She was spurred too; don't have the hen anymore, but I do still have her spurs in a drawer, somewhere. Cool bird.

I would definitely recommend dusting the heck out of her with permethrin poultry dust. A lot of it looks like feather damage and picking from crowding, but it also looks like molting, so with any luck she will grow out new, pretty feathers soon.

mixed hen

Thank you all so much!

You are right, of course, I should have quarantined them.
I knew it was a mistake to buy those chickens as soon as I saw the condition they were in, but could not bring myself to pull back (went there with kids and all)

She has serious behavioral issues with RIR. Digs herself into ground and sits there when the RIR is around, or screams hysterically. Not sure what to do.
Interestingly, she started dominating my Ameraucanas, though she is a bit smaller.