Breeds?

[Miss Chicken]

I'm VERY new to having chickens. Can anyone tell me the breeds of these little chicks? All I know is that they are Bantams.

Also, at what age can I determine gender?

Thanks!

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

1. Black cochin - should be sexable with aprox 4-6 weeks of age
2. White silkie - sexable at around 2 - 3 months(maybe later, silkies can be very tricky)
3. Old english is my guess, what type of comb does it have, I think I see a straight comb(like the cochin) - sexable at aprox 4-6 weeks as well

So cute, I can't wait for my chickies I get from Ideal next month(I hope they all make it).

 

[Miss Chicken]

Here are a couple more photos of Chick #3. Looks to me to have the same comb type as the Black Cochin.

 

[Miss Chicken]

What will I see seeing or looking for when they get to be 4-6 weeks old to determine gender? Remember I'm new to this

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Also, I'm sure this isn't the right area to post this but the little one (Chick #3) is having some issues with his/her vent area. It is clear/open and I'm checking it often but the feces are wet and getting stuck to the lower tail area.

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

I am still putting my money on old english game with chick#3.

Usually you can tell by the combs, esspecially with single comb types like the Old english and cochins. If they get bright red and are very pronounced by 4-6 week of age you can be pretty sure its a roo, if they stay small and pale good chance its a hen. Later on you can also tell by the feathers, once they molt out the first set of feathers(not the down, but the feathers they grow in now) roos will get pointy and shiny feathers on the neck and on their back/tail(saddle) area.

Silkies are more tricky, due to their skin colour roos generally don't sport the bright red comb or wattles. The type of comb they have do not get so big either.
With mine I generally could tell latest by 3-4 months of age by the shape of the crest, roos will have a mohawk that -when seen from the top- wont be much wider then the head plus they will have long stringy feathers sticking out of their crest(also called streamers). Hens usually have a much rounder and poofier crest and no streamers. That only works with hatchery quality silkies, show quality ones hens and roos are equally poofy and you really have to wait for an egg or a crow to know whats what.

As for the pasty butt on the lil one, that can be cause from stress and may clear up within a few days, just make sure the vent is clean so it doesn't get backed-up. I usually just pluck the stuck on poop off together with the feathers they are stuck on so the next poop wont have much to stick on.


Hope this helps,
Anna

 

[Miss Chicken]

Thanks for all your help!

What about #3 being a brown Leghorn??

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

If its a bantam, I don't think its a leghorn since I haven't seen brown leghorn bantams offered by a hatchery yet(to be honest I have NEVER seen a bantam leghorn in any other colour then white in North America at all).

If that chick is twice the size of the silkie and cochin, then it could well be a leghorn though.

*edited to fix the sentence in the brackets, gosh I souldn't write emails when my brain is still half asleep, the german sentence structure etc come through too much..... mingled with some english it makes no sense at all*

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

Did yours come from Orschelin? mine llok like that too. I think I have a partridge cochin. You can spot silkies by looking at their skin . its black. I got a white one too. And 2 chicks that look like #3. Old english I think as well. What color will those be does anyone know? I love my new banties. They are so sweet. I got a golden seabright too.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

I bought one that looks like #3 and they told me it was a brown leghorn.

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

Quote:
Brown leghorns look like that too but they are bigger.

I am guessing that that little one is a BBred or something similar.