8.5 week Silkie x Ameraucana or Legbar chicks - please help me guess gender and parentage

Solanacae

Crowing
Mar 10, 2021
762
4,863
386
Cache Valley, UT
I put some hatching eggs under my broody hens this September - some of which were supposed to be blue egg layers - either full Ameraucana or Ameraucana x Legbar. Upon hatching, two chicks from the blue eggs hatch out with dark skin, feathered legs, and 5 toes. I contacted the breeder, she’s as surprised as I am. Then she finds out from her husband that their Silkie rooster got into the breeding pen one day but didn’t think anything of it because the Ameraucana rooster seemed to be keeping the Silkie away from his hens. Well, apparently the Silkie managed to sneak on a couple . . .

Anyway, I’d love some input on which crosses you think I have (Silkie x Ameraucana or Silkie x Legbar). If you want to guess on gender or give me pointers on what to look for, that would be excellent as well. They have feathered in at the same rate, for what it’s worth. I’m pretty good at guessing gender but the darker skin color is not helping me, and their behavior is not giving me any clues either.
Chick 1: small crest, not much of a beard
(ignore the poop, I’ve been needing to clean the coop but life)
 

Attachments

  • FC1C622E-E157-4E06-A61C-49EC2D9FA407.jpeg
    FC1C622E-E157-4E06-A61C-49EC2D9FA407.jpeg
    745.3 KB · Views: 56
  • C161D7EE-23A8-44AB-9497-E2500747DA5F.jpeg
    C161D7EE-23A8-44AB-9497-E2500747DA5F.jpeg
    428 KB · Views: 32
  • D978CD80-8912-4E14-B91D-63C1710CC3CF.jpeg
    D978CD80-8912-4E14-B91D-63C1710CC3CF.jpeg
    414.1 KB · Views: 31
  • 6F14F584-D46A-4F26-B80C-7DCC25B8D864.jpeg
    6F14F584-D46A-4F26-B80C-7DCC25B8D864.jpeg
    765.4 KB · Views: 28
  • 85331A68-7B0A-4730-AAB4-1ACD4AA50483.jpeg
    85331A68-7B0A-4730-AAB4-1ACD4AA50483.jpeg
    633.5 KB · Views: 31
  • 8E2FB320-F630-43A7-8AFB-D54269848005.jpeg
    8E2FB320-F630-43A7-8AFB-D54269848005.jpeg
    496.6 KB · Views: 30
  • A50D3DCE-18F8-400F-9B5F-7C8EFD673668.jpeg
    A50D3DCE-18F8-400F-9B5F-7C8EFD673668.jpeg
    569.9 KB · Views: 28
  • E8419717-3AF7-45F3-80F0-E1B9AD675A92.jpeg
    E8419717-3AF7-45F3-80F0-E1B9AD675A92.jpeg
    541.1 KB · Views: 31
  • 9C70811A-E2A8-4F6D-B704-FB27167BCA00.jpeg
    9C70811A-E2A8-4F6D-B704-FB27167BCA00.jpeg
    302.2 KB · Views: 32
Chick 2: bigger crest, noticeable beard, skin around beak was lighter at hatch, but had dark legs, face has become darker over time.
 

Attachments

  • 878B16F3-FA35-469B-848C-08726BBB310B.jpeg
    878B16F3-FA35-469B-848C-08726BBB310B.jpeg
    410.7 KB · Views: 32
  • BEAAB93B-F30F-4274-B1C2-9169DCCE57F5.jpeg
    BEAAB93B-F30F-4274-B1C2-9169DCCE57F5.jpeg
    702.5 KB · Views: 28
  • 3E3A0664-EE3A-413A-A0AF-9456BB2CB391.jpeg
    3E3A0664-EE3A-413A-A0AF-9456BB2CB391.jpeg
    405.2 KB · Views: 31
  • 92196D7A-B04D-46D3-9CB3-14F44674C61E.jpeg
    92196D7A-B04D-46D3-9CB3-14F44674C61E.jpeg
    508.8 KB · Views: 26
  • FBBE7264-D129-4C0F-83A5-771B4E743531.jpeg
    FBBE7264-D129-4C0F-83A5-771B4E743531.jpeg
    867.4 KB · Views: 27
  • 678AB7D7-3C79-4ACA-AF89-6D4ADC2AD9CC.jpeg
    678AB7D7-3C79-4ACA-AF89-6D4ADC2AD9CC.jpeg
    731.2 KB · Views: 27
  • 75CD8E48-ACBF-446A-8782-EBFE2E975A86.jpeg
    75CD8E48-ACBF-446A-8782-EBFE2E975A86.jpeg
    517.7 KB · Views: 28
  • D770127B-ABB4-4C52-9F38-D86EC329189E.jpeg
    D770127B-ABB4-4C52-9F38-D86EC329189E.jpeg
    344.7 KB · Views: 30
  • 059E59D1-59B5-4351-A2E5-6364D0375344.jpeg
    059E59D1-59B5-4351-A2E5-6364D0375344.jpeg
    321.1 KB · Views: 31
Pic of dad and possible mothers. I recognize that these birds may not conform to the SOP and I don’t need comments on whether these are “pure” Ameraucana or Legbars, I was simply wanting something that would lay blue eggs, so please skip on those comments and focus on the chicks.
 

Attachments

  • C0B04AFD-BD40-46B4-A1F9-363AB5959A20.jpeg
    C0B04AFD-BD40-46B4-A1F9-363AB5959A20.jpeg
    356.3 KB · Views: 30
  • C97E04A4-84FA-468E-BAC5-9F9840F54D38.jpeg
    C97E04A4-84FA-468E-BAC5-9F9840F54D38.jpeg
    359.5 KB · Views: 26
  • 1157DA31-C48E-47B9-9F97-CE61E454B0C4.jpeg
    1157DA31-C48E-47B9-9F97-CE61E454B0C4.jpeg
    525.5 KB · Views: 25
  • 8866EB85-BDAC-4C38-B5EB-CA8A0108C9B3.jpeg
    8866EB85-BDAC-4C38-B5EB-CA8A0108C9B3.jpeg
    888.1 KB · Views: 21
  • DBA8F0B9-83E5-4219-9A76-E3B2F5D0937F.jpeg
    DBA8F0B9-83E5-4219-9A76-E3B2F5D0937F.jpeg
    522.8 KB · Views: 26
I’m not sure how well the color is coming across in the pictures, but today I saw some red on the tips of some feathers. I’m wondering if this black one is a boy.
 

Attachments

  • C58ACE63-1EB0-4777-B4D7-FEAB6A2AA8EF.jpeg
    C58ACE63-1EB0-4777-B4D7-FEAB6A2AA8EF.jpeg
    633.4 KB · Views: 28
  • 6FC02190-C531-49A4-996D-056615D4D6D8.jpeg
    6FC02190-C531-49A4-996D-056615D4D6D8.jpeg
    699.3 KB · Views: 30
I’m going with the Legbar as the mom to both of them. Only thing that makes sense to me with the coloring they have. They are super cute, both do indeed appear to be female and you will likely get green eggs from them.😊
The red coming in may though be a male indicator.
 
Thank you! I’ll keep watching to see if more red shows up. Of course it’s the one my daughter has claimed as her own - since it’s the chick her chicken hatched. The Ameraucana hen in the picture just above the rooster has coloring similar to a Legbar, I was thinking either that one or the Legbar to be the most likely source for the chick that hatched out with chipmunk stripes.
 
Looking more like a boy to me with those red shoulders. What do you think? Pictures taken yesterday, chick will be 10 weeks tomorrow.
 

Attachments

  • F70DC014-6ABF-434A-96F0-FBDBDACD03F6.jpeg
    F70DC014-6ABF-434A-96F0-FBDBDACD03F6.jpeg
    767.3 KB · Views: 25
  • AC1FE84A-86F1-4DDD-B3F9-EDAE73C167CD.jpeg
    AC1FE84A-86F1-4DDD-B3F9-EDAE73C167CD.jpeg
    477.7 KB · Views: 25
  • 25531D56-87D8-4681-B89F-F93C3435E7F6.jpeg
    25531D56-87D8-4681-B89F-F93C3435E7F6.jpeg
    502.2 KB · Views: 23
  • 090E1942-F1E7-4F84-A32D-2982E3EDB314.jpeg
    090E1942-F1E7-4F84-A32D-2982E3EDB314.jpeg
    626 KB · Views: 30

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom