4+ week olds McMurray Layer Mix—a box of mysteries!

[canyonchicks]

I ordered 15 of the Murray McMurray layer mix, and I’m not sure of most of their breeds! A few came in pairs of two but for several of them there are only single chicks with their particular coloring. So I’m getting a lot of different growth rates and personalities and it’s fun but I’m so curious as to what I’m looking at here. I’m posting a few of them in case y’all can help!

(2 pictures of each chick and there are five different chicks in this batch of pictures, sorry for the photobombs—getting the right angles is hilariously difficult!)

 

[JedJackson]

First one may be a California gray or something similar

Second one is probably a barred rock.

Third one is maybe a Whiting true green or California tan.

Fourth one looks like a Delaware, but the legs are green, so maybe another Whiting true green or other type of Easter egger. You will find out with 3 and 4 by egg color.

Fifth one is a gold laced Wyandotte.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

The first set look like Cream Legbar cockerels. Honestly no clue why they're in a layer assortment. Were they (or it) an extra? Next set are Barred Rocks, next likely Whiting True Greens, next Delawares, and lastly Gold Laced Wyandottes.

 

[JedJackson]

The first set look like Cream Legbar cockerels. Honestly no clue why they're in a layer assortment. Were they (or it) an extra? Next set are Barred Rocks, next likely Whiting True Greens, next Delawares, and lastly Gold Laced Wyandottes.

The first also looks like a Sapphire gem cockerel. But I hope not. Seems like the hatchery would be careful with sexing birds advertised as a layer mix.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

The first also looks like a Sapphire gem cockerel. But I hope not. Seems like the hatchery would be careful with sexing birds advertised as a layer mix.

Murray McMurray doesn't carry Sapphire Gems. This chicks isn't blue either, looks like the typical male Legbar. Here's an example pic from their website:

I was hoping maybe it was an Olive Egger but they don't carry any mixes that should give an outcome like this and be female. Regardless, an odd chick.

 

[canyonchicks]

OK this is all incredibly helpful!

To the initial batch of comments:

We lost one chick at two weeks, so I’m guessing that the cream legbar one (first two pictures) is the mystery chick, but it’s a little tough to know since there are other singles. I assume if it’s a cockerel then it’s the mystery chick but even with a 90% sexing accuracy it seems likely/very possible to have another cockerel mixed in here?

To be clear, the above set of pictures are just five out of the fifteen chicks, and I have another set coming here, with another five chicks. I’ll do the last five chicks in a bit. These five were REALLY rowdy and flighty!

Picture 1 is one chick, picture 2-3 is another chick (in two different amounts of light), picture 4 are a pair that seem to be the same breed, and picture 5 is another one of the chicks that are sounding like they might be barred rock.

 

[JedJackson]

First picture probably shows two Australorps.

Second picture shows an Easter egger or olive egger.

Third picture shows another Easter egger or olive egger.

Fourth picture shows a production type Rhode Island red and probably an Australorp in the background.

Fifth picture shows a barred rock, production red and likely an Australorp.

All of these are good laying breeds. No signs of cockerels in this batch, yet.

 

[chickieandpeeps]

Cream legbars are autosexing, meaning male vs female chicks can be identified at hatch! The 90% sexing accuracy is for vent sexing.

 

[JedJackson]

Cream legbars are autosexing, meaning male vs female chicks can be identified at hatch! The 90% sexing accuracy is for vent sexing.

Yes, if it is a cream Legbar then it is definitely a cockerel. I can't think what else it could be but hatcheries have so many different layer hybrids now that it is hard to be certain.