Breed of this slow growing handful of downy sweetness?

One Lucky Momma

Chicken Kisser
5 Years
Joined
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Can you tell I just love him?
This little guy came to us as a mystery chick, a freebie from the hatchery. I am thinking it’s a male because I figure males are going to be what they have left over after all the orders are filled. I could be wrong there and that would be fine. Initially he was cute and fluffy just like the others, but very quickly everyone else was looking fairly chicken-esque and at 4 weeks he is still looking like a chick.

He has feathery legs. McMurrays sells Brahmas, Cochins, and Langshan so I figure he must be one of those, but he doesn’t really match any of the 4 week photos I’ve found posted for any of those three breeds. I read that all these large breeds are slow growing, but as slow as this? It’s just been in the last few days he’s added any real wing feathers. His flock mates are pretty much fully feathered. I will say that over the past few days he’s increased in overall size, but now he just looks like a big bitty; could this rate of maturity be normal?

He has a great appetite and is scrappy when the good stuff is on the table. He doesn’t seem to be at all intimidated by the bigger birds, nor do they appear to pick on him. That said, I do believe he’s a bit wistful that he’s unable to catch the swing or hop the 16 inches to the top of the pen to perch, like everybody else. He does keep trying.

The two photos with the Dominique roo (of the same age) were taken at 15 days.

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The other two photos were taken today; will be 4 weeks old tomorrow.
What do you think? Many thanks.
 
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I’m very new to the chicken game and honestly I can see it being any of the three breeds. If it’s a Cochin then it’s definitely not a hen. I have two Cochin hens and the head shape doesn’t match. I don’t own any Brahmas or Langshan chickens but from photos I found online I would guess that it is a rooster and probably a langshan. Although I could totally be wrong on that. The chick should be more developed for being four weeks old, almost fully feathered. It could have a deformity or a late bloomer. I have a silkie who is going through a similar thing and he’s simply just a late bloomer.
 
Thank you ALL for your time and thoughts! I’d be thrilled to have a Cochin roo. Or hen. Doesn’t matter to me, I’m just glad to have the little bird.
I would like to have the gender settled so I know how to think about them.

It does open another line of questions. If it is a roo, will he likely be too big to administer to smaller hens (Sussex, Rock, RIR) ? And what are the chances his development will catch up? I fear he will be forever scarred because he can’t reach the high bars on the playground equipment and everybody else is already out there playing while he watches from the low perch.

Thanks again.
 

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