Barred Rock and Auracana mix chicks. Did I get it right?

[maybelle'smama]

I have never raised baby chicks before, only mature pullets.

I'd been wanting to get chicks but my local feedstore kept telling me "They'll be here Monday" and they never were.

I was planning to head to Tractor Supply (about an hour away) this week.

But on Sunday, when I went to go get bait for fishing I stopped at a local guy who sells minnows, rabbits, worms, eggs, etc who has always had a beautiful chicken pen in the back. He really takes beautiful care of his animals, too.

Lo and behold, he had a dozen or so of two week old chicks for sale. He said they are half Barred Rock, half Auracana. (I don't know if they really are Auracana, but it didn't seem polite to ask for their papers.)

Anyways, they were all either black or "chipmunks", so I picked 4 black ones. Knowing what little bit I THINK I do, that in this combination of parents they should be sex-linked and black hopefully means Hen! If they turn out not to be, my brother who has much bigger property than me and LOTS of chickens will be on the receiving end of 4 wonderful roos.

Maybe I should have waited til I went to TS. But, I just I couldn't help myself. They practically jumped in my bag.

So, can anybody tell me if I am right and what kind of eggs do you think I could expect. I have included pics of each of them cause I know sometimes you can get info from their combs and toes. If you have any info for me, I'd love to hear it, thanks!

 

[flockgirl]

I think your prob right abouth them being black sex link.. if they are you will get a large brown/tinted egg

 

[gryeyes]

Um. Er. They look pretty roo-ish to me.... But I am notoriously bad at sexing chicks. I have been blessed by the Rooster Fairy far more than 50% of the time.

 

[donrae]

If the momma was the barred rock, they'll be sex linked and those should be pullets. If the daddy was a barred rock, all bets are off.

 

[hdowden]

also if they are the mix he said, which comb wise on the 2nd pic it looks like it, then they are ee's...i dont see any signs of barring either so they could be pullets

 

[maybelle'smama]

Starting to think I got 2 boys and 2 girls.
2 are a little bigger and more aggressive and their heads are slightly different than the others. Maybe it's just pecking order. We'll see.

 

[maybelle'smama]

They are four weeks old and it's becoming clear that my sex linked theory isn't going to pan out. As Sesame Street taught me - "One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong. "

Three of them have large yellow combs. Those three have similar feathers and build and are getting long tail feathers. (though one is a little less clear in the tail- feather department. These 3 are all developing wattles.

The last one (who is my favorite) is smaller with a light brown color at the tips of all it's feathers. It has a very small but red comb. It is the quietest of the bunch.

So I either have 3 pullets and 1 roo. Or 3 Roos 1 pullet. Dang!