Australorp or ?

[Corwynnde]

I got this chick from Wilco, it was sold as a black australorp. I'm starting to second guess that after looking at picks of other australorp chicks now.



The lighter color is more white than yellow and only goes about halfway up the belly.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You have a barred bird; that is why there is a white head dot. Australorps are penguin looking chicks with no head dot (ETA: although they can have face white that reaches into the head area...but it looks like you have a black head with a clear dot).

I think you have a Barred Rock if that is a single comb (hard to tell in the photo flash glare). If more barring comes in, then it is almost certainly a barred rock.

If the barring looks more soft, and mixed, it might be a Cuckoo Marans.

LofMc


...and WELCOME fellow Oregonian to BYC!

 

[Corwynnde]

Bah probably a cookoo maran then, I know the website says they have those too. Bah! At least I'm 99% sure the others are actually buff orphs.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You may be very pleased with the Cuckoo Marans, especially if it lays the darker egg (although hatchery quality will not lay the really dark egg).

My Marans lay on par with BO's, which were never my best layers. The Australorps will be better than either of those.

If you plan to eat the roo's the Marans fill out well, as to most BO's. Australorps are a bit leaner as they are a better layer.

All to say, you may enjoy the CM.

LofMc

 

[Michael OShay]

Bah probably a cookoo maran then, I know the website says they have those too. Bah! At least I'm 99% sure the others are actually buff orphs.

It could also turn out to be a male Black Sex Link chick (in which case it's a cockerel with that white spot on top of its head). It's not uncommon at feed stores for Black Sex Link chicks to accidentally end up in the Black Australorp bin. I hope that's not what happened here.

 

[BantamLover21]

Its probably a Cuckoo Marans, though a Black Sex-link male is another possibility.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Its probably a Cuckoo Marans, though a Black Sex-link male is another possibility.

Agreed.

 

[Corwynnde]

thanks everyone. if it ends up being a BSL male it'll get eaten, I'm not really looking for a roo yet since the coop is gonna be about 15' from my bedroom window! Can't wait to find out.... trying not to use this as an excuse to buy more chicks! (but now I know what an australorp chick should look like, I could go get one, right...)

 

[Michael OShay]

thanks everyone. . . .but now I know what an australorp chick should look like, I could go get one, right...)

You're welcome; and definitely. ) Australorps are a wonderful breed, definitely worth having. They are extremely hardy, calm and gentle (my children and granddaughter made lap pets of ours), and excellent layers of large brown eggs.