Black pullets?

[HenHouse10C]

How do you tell the difference between black breeds, specifically australorp, black sex link, and black marans? I have 3 9 week old pullets, two ofthem are solid black with little pink combs, Grey legs and the greenish tinge to their feathers. The other one has is the same except for yellow feet and she has copper around her neck, and a little mixed into her wings. I really don't know what they are, because the breeder sold them to us as "barred rock" chicks but obviously that isn't the case!

 

[HenHouse10C]

A couple extra pics for good measure. It's so hard to get a picture of them all being still!

 

[21hens-incharge]

How do you tell the difference between black breeds, specifically australorp, black sex link, and black marans? I have 3 9 week old pullets, two ofthem are solid black with little pink combs, Grey legs and the greenish tinge to their feathers. The other one has is the same except for yellow feet and she has copper around her neck, and a little mixed into her wings. I really don't know what they are, because the breeder sold them to us as "barred rock" chicks but obviously that isn't the case!

I think you got a mixed bag of mixed breed chickens there. The black one in the front looks like an Australorp BUT the comb is wrong for an Australorp. The one in the back has the cutest little muffs as does the one with the copper coloring. I think there is EE or Olive Egger in the mix. One of the parent birds could have been an Australorp but I do not see leg feathering indicating BCM.
Interesting looking group. Keep us posted on what color eggs you get out of them. Could be really dark olive.

 

[Michael OShay]

I think you got a mixed bag of mixed breed chickens there.

I agree. The black one with the pea comb, muffs, and beard is an Easter Egger pullet, the solid black one is a Black Australorp pullet, and the black one with the copper colored feathering in the neck area is a Black Sex Link (Black Star) pullet. You have some excellent layers and should get lots of eggs from them. )

 

[HenHouse10C]

You are right, there definitely is not any leg feathering going on. The black one with the big muffs, we named her lucy, as in lucifer because she is mean to the other two. I suppose she's at the top of the pecking order here. I wonder if the copperish one has different parents too. I'm really curious to see what type of eggs come about!

I also have 3 3 week old chicks from the same breeder and they too seem to be a big mix of mixed up traits!

I think you got a mixed bag of mixed breed chickens there. The black one in the front looks like an Australorp BUT the comb is wrong for an Australorp. The one in the back has the cutest little muffs as does the one with the copper coloring. I think there is EE or Olive Egger in the mix. One of the parent birds could have been an Australorp but I do not see leg feathering indicating BCM.
Interesting looking group. Keep us posted on what color eggs you get out of them. Could be really dark olive.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Quote: I have to respectfully disagree on the Australorp and BSL guesses since the BSL looking one has muffs and the BA looking one has a pea comb.

 

[HenHouse10C]

This is the one with the copper one week ago... She has really brightened up in just one week! I have a feeling she's going to be very pretty once she's mature!

 

[HenHouse10C]

And now that I've really looked at the pictures it seems her comb has grown a good bit too.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am a bit concerned for you that she may be a he. For reals the chicken is 9 weeks old?

The only thing saying possible male to me is the large comb. Feathering looks female so far as I can see.

 

[HenHouse10C]

Yes hatched on Valentines day. There was a brood of 7 chicks the same age that a friend and I split, and there was 1 very obvious rooster a week ago. The breeder took him back, as they had all been sexed as pullets when they were hatchlings. He was already crowing!

I am a bit concerned for you that she may be a he. For reals the chicken is 9 weeks old?

The only thing saying possible male to me is the large comb. Feathering looks female so far as I can see.