Buff... *[UPDATE]* methinks minorcas

[jossanne]

I've got 3 8wk buff chicks from McMurray's rainbow layers that I'm trying to decide between buff orpington and buff minorca. They've all got white legs, and are all similarly shaped. One might be a little larger bodied than the other two, but not enough that I think she's a different breed.

I had one buff minorca from my last rainbow layers, but I also ordered 12 buff orpingtons with that group, and the minorca was always obviously smaller than the orps. This time I've only got the 3 buff babies, and nothing that I know for sure to compare them to.

So... my question is, when are earlobes obviously red or white? Their earlobes are all whitish right now, but I think so are the RIR's. These buff chicks might have a bit of a blue tint showing up in their earlobes, but nothing like the blue of the hamburg chicks, and sometimes I don't see blue at all.

Sometimes the tail carriage of these babies is more upright like a minorca, and sometimes they're low like an orpington. Anyone have a clue, judging by these pictures?

It only matters to me because I'm trying to count how many white egg layers and how many brown egg layers I have. If they're minorcas, I've got a lot more white eggs coming than brown...

 

[spydertoys]

Orpington.

 

[tiki244]

I hate to guess because I always get it wrong it seems. But, even though the earlobe is white, it does look like an Orpington.

 

[jossanne]

Thanks, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for orpingtons to even out egg colors in these 8wk chicks

. Buff minorcas would make it too lopsided! Silly, I know...

4 white leghorns
4 silver-spangled hamburgs
3 possible black minorcas
1 brown leghorn
1 white polish
=
13 white layers


5 RIR
3 BO
1 australorp or JG
1 GLW
=
10 brown layers


2 EE green layers

 

[chickiebaby]

Twins for my Orps, which were also McMurray. Cuties!

 

[hinkjc]

I'm going to guess Minorca. Orpington have red ear lobes and yours have white. Minorca have white.

Jody

 

[ChickyPooh]

When oyu order rainbow layers do they give you hes that lay funny (green, blue ,chocolate brown) colored eggs or just a bunch of hens that lay different egg colors from each other?

 

[jossanne]

Brown, white, blue/green egg layers come in the assortment. I don't think they include any chocolate brown layers in the bunch, unless you happen to get one as your free rare and exotic chick. This time it looks like I'm probably pretty even in brown and white egg layers, and there are two EE's to lay blue/green eggs. Last time, I had one EE and probably half and half brown and white. It's a nice, colorful assortment of chickens and I think the funnest part is figuring out who everybody is!

 

[jossanne]

Quote:
I realize the difference in earlobe color between minorcas and orpingtons, but I'm having a hard time telling if their earlobes are white because they're white, or if they're light colored because none of their skin has turned red. Any idea when red earlobes turn red? My RIR's earlobes are still very light-colored, and they'll eventually be red.

See the RIR in the corner, and how light her earlobes still are?

 

[jossanne]

I'm pretty sure the babies are minorcas. I sat out in the henhouse for a while yesterday, and they're really getting a minorca look about them. They're carrying their tail high like my last minorca, they're shaped like my leghorns, and their earlobes are definitely white, almost blue. So much for an even mix of white/brown eggs.