Bought as Rainbow Layers - What's the real breed?

[donrae]

Ee cockerel. He doesn't look rumpless, just tail feather-less.

We need a better pic of the white bird. I can't see her body shape and tail set. Probably a white Rock or a Leghorn.

 

[drumstick diva]

EE cockerel white one is kind of hefty

 

[BabyandCotton]

Ee cockerel. He doesn't look rumpless, just tail feather-less. 

We need a better pic of the white bird. I can't see her body shape and tail set. Probably a white Rock or a Leghorn. 

I'm guessing white Rock because my leghorn is very slender compared. Agreed, that's a cockerel
-Liv

 

[katatonic123]

Oh I know the ee is a cockerel. He's been crowing for a couple of weeks.

 

[hollierhat17]

I bought some Rainbow chickens through efowl and there description is a newer breed that's not certified and is a dual purpose bird that is really just a mix of different breeds. Our two hens are huge now and tower over the rest of our flock. They often lay large eggs with double yolks! Super sweet and calm girls!

 

[donrae]

I bought some Rainbow chickens through efowl and there description is a newer breed that's not certified and is a dual purpose bird that is really just a mix of different breeds. Our two hens are huge now and tower over the rest of our flock. They often lay large eggs with double yolks! Super sweet and calm girls!

that's where some confusion comes in. Some hatcheries sell "Rainbow Packs", which are an assortment of different pure bred birds that can each lay all different color eggs. Or, when feed stores have leftovers, they put them all in a single bin and sell them as Rainbow layers, meaning basically they're pullets (well, most of them

) and they'll lay whatever color that particular breed lays. So that's a rainbow assortment, and what the OP was sold.

Then you have the Dixie Rainbows, also sold as Pioneers. I think that's what you have. They're a cross of various dual purpose, meaty birds. Often have barring, they're pretty and larger than most hatchery stock. Most folks use them as meat birds, but several have been holding hens over for layers like you and they're very happy with them.

 

[hollierhat17]

Thanks so much for that! Good info!

 

[katatonic123]

Here's a good picture of Joan. Almost 15 weeks old.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I always understood "rainbow layers" to mean that they would lay an assortment of egg colors. That meaning there would be birds that lay white,green and brown mixed in the bin.

I think that Joan may be a white rock.