How to tell chick breeds apart?

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MeghanFaith

MeghanFaith

In the Brooder
6 Years
Mar 4, 2013
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I placed an order from Meyer Hatchery for hatching eggs. I ordered 8 New Hampshire Red hatching eggs to hatch out for a friend and of course I couldn't resist getting some for myself. I also ordered 6 hatchery assortment eggs. I messaged the company to see if they might give me a list of some sort with my eggs without reply. When my box came in I thought they might have separated or labeled the eggs somehow.

Well they didn't and I couldn't tell any of the eggs apart other than the one white egg! :) So I did guesswork and group together the ones that were similar in size shape and color. I didn't do a very good job though! The first to hatched I had label "NHR" and out popped a barred rock.
tongue.png
I'm basically using their list of hatching egg available as a reference sheet.
Here is the list of brown egg layers:
Barred Rock-black chick with white dot single comb
Black Australorp-black white marking on belly single comb
Buff Orpington-yellow reddish chick single comb
Dominique-black with white marking on belly pea comb
New Hampshire Red-yellow reddish chick single comb
Rhode Island Red-reddish orange chick single comb
Speckled Sussex-chipmunk single comb
Welsummer- I don't think they sent me any of these none of the eggs were speckled
White Rock-yellow chick single comb
White Cochin-should have feathered legs and be easy spot :)

The white egg should be easy it's between a leghorn or golden campine so I should know once it hatches.

It's going to be pretty tough to guess between the NHR, Buff Orpingtons, RIR, and White rocks! How long should it take till I can get a better idea of who's who? Anyone have any advice or ideas?

I will post pictures once they have all hatched so far I have 6 yellowish chicks and I'm pretty sure 1 barred rock and 1 Dominique (has pea comb)
 
Wellsummer eggs are no always speckled. Were there any dark brown eggs? I don't thin we can help you until you have photos of your chicks.
 
Post photos ;) the reds might be a little darker than the orp and rock. Did they all hatch :-D I was thinking about getting some from them but I couldn't make up my mind and I really wanted to hatch wyondottes but they aparently don't sell their eggs :-/
 
Dominique Chickens have a Rose Comb not a Pea Comb.
Rhode Island Reds chicks (from hatcheries) can come in different shades of "Red", the better the breeding and line the darker the chicks, Reddish Orange would be more a production line of Rhode Island Reds or even a Production Red.
 
Okay I'm sorry it's been so long I've meant to get these pictures on here a lot sooner. Anyways I had 10 hatch! 6 were yellow chicks and 2 black with white, 1 chipmunk and 1 Golden Campine (dunno how else to explain the coloring)

Chick on left is the Dominique and right is a Golden Campine butt
tongue.png


On the right I think is a Barred Rock, single comb and black dot on the head. The left I'm guess is the Dominique, I've never had this breed before but if you enlarge the pic you can see the comb is barely there and doesn't look like single comb at all. If it had a single comb I would say black australorp.


I just love these markings! Since it came out of the only white egg it could have been either a White Leghorn or Golden Campine according to the eggs they were offering. I think this is a pretty sure bet ;)

Here are the yellow chicks








 
Chris09 said:
Dominique Chickens have a Rose Comb not a Pea Comb.
Rhode Island Reds chicks (from hatcheries) can come in different shades of "Red", the better the breeding and line the darker the chicks, Reddish Orange would be more a production line of Rhode Island Reds or even a Production Red.
Click to expand...

Yep your right :)
 
MeghanFaith said:
Okay I'm sorry it's been so long I've meant to get these pictures on here a lot sooner. Anyways I had 10 hatch! 6 were yellow chicks and 2 black with white, 1 chipmunk and 1 Golden Campine (dunno how else to explain the coloring)

Chick on left is the Dominique and right is a Golden Campine butt
tongue.png

Yes, left Dominique, right Campine
On the right I think is a Barred Rock, single comb and black dot on the head. The left I'm guess is the Dominique, I've never had this breed before but if you enlarge the pic you can see the comb is barely there and doesn't look like single comb at all. If it had a single comb I would say black australorp.

If the left bird has a head dot, then that's your BR. Right is the Dominque again, you can see the inverted horse shoe for rosecomb.
I just love these markings! Since it came out of the only white egg it could have been either a White Leghorn or Golden Campine according to the eggs they were offering. I think this is a pretty sure bet ;)

Here are the yellow chicks
These are harder to know. My guess is the lightest colored ones, especially if they have a bit of smudge on them, White Rock. The reddish gold are either NH or BO. Those don't look dark enough to be RIR, even PR but hatchery stock can vary.







Click to expand...
 

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