Breed? Gender? Help please.

[hayley77]

Sorry if this is obvious in either breed or gender, but I could use some help. This is the first chicken I've ever owned, and I really only have it because he/she wandered into my yard and was just too cute to give up. Now it has made itself at home! We think it may have escaped from a Tyson barn as there are many nearby, but I'd still be interested to know the gender and breed. She/he is completely white. Thanks for any help!

 

[donrae]

Can you post a profile pic of the whole body, including legs and comb? And what's your best guess as to age? How long have you had it, and how big was it then?

 

[hayley77]

This is the only other picture I have currently, but I can take another if it doesn't show enough. I honestly have no idea on age. This picture was taken the day I found it. It's been 10 weeks since then, and its missing feathers in the picture have filled in, and it has grown a little larger, but not a lot. Thanks for the response!

 

[ramirezframing]

She looks like a cornish rock cross, which is the typical breed used in meat chickens. Most of the meat farms ship them off to be done for market before the birds are 6 months old. I had some of these and got one hen to live till she was 3 yrs old. Limit how much chicken feed you give her and I use to spread mine on the ground so mine had to walk around to get it. In your picture, she looks to be free ranging which is very good for her as it will help keep her weight down. Most of these birds that are not done for the table by the time egg laying comes, die from laying eggs (how I lost most of my hens which I hadn't done). My two roosters and the two hens that I didn't lose to egg laying died from heart attacks. If she is your only chicken, get a few more, as chickens are a group animal and do better with chicken buddies. Good luck and welcome to chicken hood

 

[ClucksAndPeeps]

She looks almost like a Cornish/Rock cross... the typical commerical meat bird.

 

[LAYINGCHICKENZ4]

Cornish/Rock cross

 

[donrae]

My only problem with it being a CX is the OP has had it 10 weeks, the second pic is when she got it. She states it's not a lot larger. I'd think by now a CX would look like a small turkey--mine sure did when we let them go to 3 months.

Is it possible to get a current profile pic?

 

[ramirezframing]

Not all will grow super fast, specially if they are free ranged. I had 2 that didn't grow as fast or as big as the others, They didn't live the longest though. I have a friend that has gotten two cast offs from a chicken house worker. They tend to throw the small ones out when putting the birds on the trucks, the small ones are either re-homed or killed and dropped in a hole, from what this guy told my friend.

 

[angel8035]

I hope she gets to have a good life with you, even if it is shorter than normal birds. Most of these girls never get the chance to see the sun and grass and are killed before they are 2 months old. Good luck with her!

 

[hayley77]

Thank you so much everyone!