Breed Identification Help

[bobwilkie]

Okay, let's go back to the fact that I am brand new to the chicken game; a new egg. Maybe I am still not properly using the lingo and terminology. I was not looking for purebred chickens or show chickens. I wanted well-natured hens of various breeds that would get along well with each other and be tame with the kids. Those were my only criteria when deciding what birds to get. Maybe I should not have used the term "breeder" because hatchery sounds more like what I saw. If the birds are mixed, they will still live a happy healthy life at our ranch and they will just have to be comfortable with missing the shows. I appreciate the feedback and input I am receiving from everyone because it is quickly helping me learn what I need to know and be aware of. The biggest concern now is the Orp and whether or not it turns out to be a rooster. The rest will fall into place and I will continue to learn by experience and with your help. Thank you all.

 

[junebuggena]

Okay, let's go back to the fact that I am brand new to the chicken game; a new egg. Maybe I am still not properly using the lingo and terminology. I was not looking for purebred chickens or show chickens. I wanted well-natured hens of various breeds that would get along well with each other and be tame with the kids. Those were my only criteria when deciding what birds to get. Maybe I should not have used the term "breeder" because hatchery sounds more like what I saw. If the birds are mixed, they will still live a happy healthy life at our ranch and they will just have to be comfortable with missing the shows. I appreciate the feedback and input I am receiving from everyone because it is quickly helping me learn what I need to know and be aware of. The biggest concern now is the Orp and whether or not it turns out to be a rooster. The rest will fall into place and I will continue to learn by experience and with your help. Thank you all.

Since they are mixed or poorly bred, you can't be sure of their temperaments. You won't be sure of gentle, well-natured birds, because those birds haven't been bred towards that purpose. Hatchery birds are bred with production as the primary goal, with little else taken into consideration.
Yes they will still live happy chicken lives, but that doesn't mean that they will be happy to be handled.

 

[BantamLover21]

Your Dominique, Wyandotte, and Rock are all mixed breeds. Your birds have white skin, when they are supposed to be yellow skinned breeds.

Agreed

 

[showinbirds]

I think your breeder will be replacing the buff.

 

[bobwilkie]

UPDATE
All is well with the new birds in the new coop. The Orpington did turn out to be a hen and she is laying one or two small brown eggs each day. In fact, I found her sitting on eggs in the nesting box this afternoon. The production red is older and bigger so she quickly established her dominance, but everyone is getting along well with each other. They are all feeding from the feeder and drinking from the waterer next to each other. They all let me pick them up and one even jumps on my back when I am bent over cleaning poop from the sand in the run. They have developed unique little personalities and I am glad we got them all. I am mostly glad none of them turned out to be roosters like many of you thought would be the case. I will have more behavior or care questions as time goes by, I am sure.

 

[chickenmole]

That's a big beautiful bird. Sometimes you get some really masculine hens. I have an Easter egger that everyone swore was a rooster, and really she does look very rooster-y. I'm sure sometimes you get a girly roo, too.