Black Australorp/ Brassy Backed Olde English Bantam hybrid?

[kate_r_andre]

We just got chickens for the first time this year so I am a total novice. We bought a whole flock of hens and a rooster from someone who was moving and couldn't take the birds with them. Early in June we realized one our hens had made a nest in the grass and was sitting on 12 eggs! (We have 25 acres and live a half mile off the road so our chickens are free range.) On June 17 she hatched 10 live chicks and now, 6 weeks later, we have 8 growing chicks.

My question is about the genetics/breed of the 8 chicks. The broody mother hen is a Black Australorp and our rooster (I have been told) is a Brassy Backed Olde English Bantam. The chicks were all black and white at first, but some had more white and different facial markings. Now, we have 2 who have brown/brassy markings on their back and a few that have white patterns on their wing feathers.

We know nothing about chicken genetics but are curious what you call mixed/hyrbid chickens and also if these white parts on the feathers will likely remain or change? We will end up with a couple who are mostly black with some brassy highlights and the rest end up looking like black australorps? Or are the white patterns likely to remain or look barred?

The first photo is of our rooster and the others are of our chicks.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Your rooster is an Easter egger mix (maybe an olive egger), not an old English game. I would call them “Easter egger x australorp crosses”. The white parts on their feathers will probably disappear, though some of them will get some silver leakage. You’re right on what they’ll grow up to look like; some will be all black and some will have silver, gold, or red highlights.

 

[kate_r_andre]

Your rooster is an Easter egger mix (maybe an olive egger), not an old English game. I would call them “Easter egger x australorp crosses”. The white parts on their feathers will probably disappear, though some of them will get some silver leakage. You’re right on what they’ll grow up to look like; some will be all black and some will have silver, gold, or red highlights.

Thanks! I was surprised when people told me it was an olde english bantam but I thought he looked like more of mix. Thanks!

 

[JedJackson]

I agree with the above. The rooster looks like a Cochin bantam/Easter egger mix to me. Definitely not an old English game bantam and definitely not the brassy back color pattern.