Any ideas on breed?

[Cinnamon11]

It’s been a few weeks so babies are 11 1/2 weeks old!

 

[NatJ]

It’s been a few weeks so babies are 11 1/2 weeks old!

They are looking good!

To me, they still look like one male and two females.

The red one still looks like a Rhode Island Red (or maybe a closely related type, such as Production Red or some varieties of Red Sexlink.)

The blue one appears to have white skin on the feet, not yellow, so I think Blue Australorp is the most likely breed for her.

The male appears to have the right foot color for Cuckoo Marans, wrong for Barred Rock.

 

[Cinnamon11]

They are looking good!

To me, they still look like one male and two females.

The red one still looks like a Rhode Island Red (or maybe a closely related type, such as Production Red or some varieties of Red Sexlink.)

The blue one appears to have white skin on the feet, not yellow, so I think Blue Australorp is the most likely breed for her.

The male appears to have the right foot color for Cuckoo Marans, wrong for Barred Rock.

Thank you! Rosie’s feathers are pretty spoty but I’ve never had a RIR! Is there a chance Oliver is an Olive egger like he was sold as?

 

[David61]

I'm late to the party but from the first picture to the last i see a Barred rock (easy to see), smokey pearl and ISA brown.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you! Rosie’s feathers are pretty spoty but I’ve never had a RIR! Is there a chance Oliver is an Olive egger like he was sold as?

Yes, he certainly could be. Many Olive Eggers have Cuckoo Marans as one parent, and would have the same traits that are making me think he is Marans.

I'd forgotten that was the original label. Labels can be wrong, but they can also be right, so it's definitely worth considering.

If someone intends to use him for breeding, his genes would definitely affect what color eggs his daughters can lay.

 

[Cinnamon11]

I'm late to the party but from the first picture to the last i see a Barred rock (easy to see), smokey pearl and ISA brown.

Thank you!

 

[Cinnamon11]

Yes, he certainly could be. Many Olive Eggers have Cuckoo Marans as one parent, and would have the same traits that are making me think he is Marans.

I'd forgotten that was the original label. Labels can be wrong, but they can also be right, so it's definitely worth considering.

If someone intends to use him for breeding, his genes would definitely affect what color eggs his daughters can lay.

That would make a lot of sense! The people who are going to take him in a few weeks may breed him to their red sex links do it will be cool to see the babies if they do!

 

[NatJ]

Rosie’s feathers are pretty spoty but I’ve never had a RIR!

Oops, forgot this part.

Rhode Island Reds are supposed to have feathers of a smooth, even red color when they are grown up. But it's fairly common for the chicks of red breeds to show some uneven color and even some black patterning when they are young, then molt out to a smoother color as they continue to mature.

Production Reds were developed from Rhode Island Reds, by selecting more heavily for egg laying ability, and paying little or no attention to the shade of red and the shape of the body. So they usually look like poor-quality Rhode Island Reds, but lay even better than the "good" RIR.

Red Sexlinks are usually produced by crossing a Rhode Island Red rooster with certain kinds of hens, so the chicks hatch out with red females and white males. Many of the females grow up to have some white feathers in their tail and other places (Rosie does not), but some crosses do produce hens the same color as Rosie.

New Hampshires are another breed, that is typically a lighter red than Rhode Island Reds but is otherwise fairly similar. (I think Rosie is too dark to be a New Hampshire, but I'm not 100% sure of that.)

All of those types are quite similar in appearance, and they are all good layers of brown eggs. I don't know of any surefire way of distinguishing them. So if Rosie eventually lays brown eggs, I will be pretty sure she is one of those kinds, but I still won't know which one. If she lays eggs that are white, blue, or green, then I will know I was wrong

 

[Cinnamon11]

Oops, forgot this part.

Rhode Island Reds are supposed to have feathers of a smooth, even red color when they are grown up. But it's fairly common for the chicks of red breeds to show some uneven color and even some black patterning when they are young, then molt out to a smoother color as they continue to mature.

Production Reds were developed from Rhode Island Reds, by selecting more heavily for egg laying ability, and paying little or no attention to the shade of red and the shape of the body. So they usually look like poor-quality Rhode Island Reds, but lay even better than the "good" RIR.

Red Sexlinks are usually produced by crossing a Rhode Island Red rooster with certain kinds of hens, so the chicks hatch out with red females and white males. Many of the females grow up to have some white feathers in their tail and other places (Rosie does not), but some crosses do produce hens the same color as Rosie.

New Hampshires are another breed, that is typically a lighter red than Rhode Island Reds but is otherwise fairly similar. (I think Rosie is too dark to be a New Hampshire, but I'm not 100% sure of that.)

All of those types are quite similar in appearance, and they are all good layers of brown eggs. I don't know of any surefire way of distinguishing them. So if Rosie eventually lays brown eggs, I will be pretty sure she is one of those kinds, but I still won't know which one. If she lays eggs that are white, blue, or green, then I will know I was wrong

Thank you so much! I can’t wait for them to lay and watch see what they look like fully grown!

 

[Cinnamon11]

This is going to be my last update with all the babies as Oliver is going to his new home tomorrow, and probably my last update until the girls lay! Oliver has gotten some red coloring on his feathers and lavender has gotten some black spots.