2 cockerels?

[Tennessee Tranquility]

Was given these two and would appreciate help with 1) breed type(s) and 2) verify both are cockerels.
If the photos are not sufficient, I’ll get more as soon as they settle in a bit.
Thank you!

 

[NatJ]

Was given these two and would appreciate help with 1) breed type(s) and 2) verify both are cockerels.
If the photos are not sufficient, I’ll get more as soon as they settle in a bit.
Thank you!

They both look like males to me.

They are probably Easter Eggers, or else they could be some kind of backyard mix. Backyard mix might not have the blue egg gene, Easter Eggers should have it-- not that they are going to be laying any eggs anyway, but it could matter if you want to use them for breeding.

 

[GlicksChicks]

They do appear to be cockerels.

The one with the white head looks to be an Ameracauna.

The one with the darker head might be an Ameracauna × Wyandotte cross.

They are at least Ameracauna base and most likely Easter Eggers/Olive Eggers depending on the actual mix.

 

[NatJ]

The one with the white head looks to be an Ameracauna.

The one with the darker head might be an Ameracauna × Wyandotte cross.

If you are using "Ameraucana" to mean the pure breed that comes in a specific list of recognized color varieties, neither one is really an Ameraucana.

A Wyandotte-mix chick would probably have a rose comb or a walnut comb, and male Wyandotte-mixes would definitely have light feet (yellow or white.) Those chicks both have pea combs and dark legs. So I am confident that neither of them has a Wyandotte parent. A Wyandotte further in the past, grandparent or earlier, could be a possibility, although I see no reason to suspect Wyandotte rather than any other breed.

 

[GlicksChicks]

neither one is really an Ameraucana.

I don't know much about Ameracaunas, so I also added that they could be EE/OE. All of my statements had May, might, looks to be, or maybe."

I see no reason to suspect Wyandotte rather than any other breed.

I suspected Wyandotte because he neck feathers/neck designs resembles my Wyandotte mix rooster's neck.

 

[NatJ]

I don't know much about Ameracaunas, so I also added that they could be EE/OE. All of my statements had May, might, looks to be, or maybe."

The American Poultry Association has a list of what color varieties they accept for each breed:
https://amerpoultryassn.com/accepted-breeds-varieties/
Some breeds also have a few other colors in development, that are not on that list. But general multi-colored mixes that do not match any color variety of any breed, are not going to be purebreds of any breed. Other traits matter too, but color is usually one of the easiest to see in partly-grown chicks that do not yet have their mature size and body shape.

For these chicks, they do have a number of traits in common with Ameraucanas (comb type, foot color, no feathers on the feet, no crest on the head, and so forth), so if you don't know what colors the breed can come in, it was definitely a resonable guess.

But Easter Eggers being called "Ameraucana" is a sore subject with many people (including me) because so many hatcheries are selling chickens with wrong or confusing labels (like "Ameraucana" or "Americana" for mixed-breed chickens that lay colored eggs but are definitely not actual Ameraucanas.) There is nothing wrong with Easter Eggers, and I actually like some of them better than pure Ameraucanas, but I have major problems with deceptive marketing.

I suspected Wyandotte because he neck feathers/neck designs resembles my Wyandotte mix rooster's neck.

That design in neck feathers is quite common in mixed-breed chickens as well as in some pure breeds. So I'm not surprised to see it in chicks that are probably Easter Eggers, and also to hear that your Wyandotte-mix has it too.

It can definitely be hard to tell what is (or is not) in a mixed-breed chicken, because the genes rearrange to give so many different appearances.

 

[GlicksChicks]

The American Poultry Association has a list of what color varieties they accept for each breed:
https://amerpoultryassn.com/accepted-breeds-varieties/
Some breeds also have a few other colors in development, that are not on that list. But general multi-colored mixes that do not match any color variety of any breed, are not going to be purebreds of any breed. Other traits matter too, but color is usually one of the easiest to see in partly-grown chicks that do not yet have their mature size and body shape.

For these chicks, they do have a number of traits in common with Ameraucanas (comb type, foot color, no feathers on the feet, no crest on the head, and so forth), so if you don't know what colors the breed can come in, it was definitely a resonable guess.

But Easter Eggers being called "Ameraucana" is a sore subject with many people (including me) because so many hatcheries are selling chickens with wrong or confusing labels (like "Ameraucana" or "Americana" for mixed-breed chickens that lay colored eggs but are definitely not actual Ameraucanas.) There is nothing wrong with Easter Eggers, and I actually like some of them better than pure Ameraucanas, but I have major problems with deceptive marketing.


That design in neck feathers is quite common in mixed-breed chickens as well as in some pure breeds. So I'm not surprised to see it in chicks that are probably Easter Eggers, and also to hear that your Wyandotte-mix has it too.

It can definitely be hard to tell what is (or is not) in a mixed-breed chicken, because the genes rearrange to give so many different appearances.

It would be very frustrating to be thinking you are buying one breed when it is another altogether. As I have said, I don't know much about Ameracaunas, or EE/OE. While they are cool birds, and I hope to get some someday, they are not breeds that I want to dabble in trying to selectively breed them. There is alot of confusion around them.

 

[Tennessee Tranquility]

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. Learning so much - it makes this new “hobby” the best part of retirement.