Mystery pullets

[kkjohns]

Hey everyone, we‘ve had a rotating flock of multi-breed laying hens for ten years. Recently the numbers had dwindled, so we got sixteen chicks from a local feed and seed/nursery in March. They're now almost seven weeks old. I’m wondering what two of our black chicks turned into. We supposedly got some black sex link and some australorps. These two, which were solid black as chicks, turned out with these unique brown markings on them and don’t look like any australorps or black sex links that we’ve ever had before. Any idea?

The colored feathers are very much a light brown, whether or not the photos are showing them correctly.

 

[JedJackson]

I think they are black sex links. Hybrids can be really variable in color. Nothing else comes to mind.

 

[kkjohns]

I think they are black sex links. Hybrids can be really variable in color. Nothing else comes to mind.

Oh, okay then! I didn’t know if they were something I’d never seen before!

 

[JedJackson]

Oh, okay then! I didn’t know if they were something I’d never seen before!

They do have more brown that you usually see, so I understand where you are coming from.