Cackle Hatchery - Rare Breed Special and Top Hat Special?

[newchickychick]

Now, our Cochins! (Or Cochins?) This one I think matches Partridge? Maybe.

And here's the other! It's hard to tell in the light, but it's a very soft creamish red with a chipmunk like pattern. Not sure what breed or if it's just a lighter partridge maybe?

 

[newchickychick]

I think this guy might be a Crazy Cackle Toppie? It's got fluffy cheeks and a little head puff. It's so funny to watch!

 

[newchickychick]

This is the one I think might be a Tolbunt Polish? So cute!

 

[newchickychick]

This one has a little head puff and rather fluffy cheeks. I'm thinking it may be a gold laced Polish? It's the resident little jerk. :[ I'm hoping it settles down after today. I'm wondering if it was just really amped up from shipping and will hopefully calm down. I've been nudging it away when I see it peck at other chicks' eyes and it at least seems to have helped. Fingers crossed.

 

[newchickychick]

The goldish yellow one in the first pic and the two yellow ones in the second are the ones that were in the Turken bin yesterday and are certainly not a Turken. Not sure if it's possible to tell what it is yet, as there's lots of precious reddish yellow chicks out there! I couldn't get the lighter one to sit still, so that one will definitely have to wait.

 

[newchickychick]

Last but not least, a better pic of the coloring on the chipmunk-y Cochin at the bottom left, and some of our other stripey babies. I think phoenix or yokohama? We've got 3 of the same color and I think a couple that are a little bitty bit darker.

 

[NatJ]

First is the "mystery marans". It is a fair little bit smaller than most of the other chicks! So thankful its crop is filling up and it seems to run around just fine! We've decided to name it M&M. The others we have all waited to be sure whether they're hens/roos (still waiting on some judgement calls on our 5 week olds so those are still unnamed) but this one's just so peculiar of a situation, we figured it deserved a name. It could be quite obvious and I missed some photos on the pages. That wouldn't surprise me either!

I think it's going to grow up black.

I wonder if it could be a Black Sumatra?
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/blacksumatra/

I think their eggs run a bit small, which would mean the chicks would be small too (because the size of the egg limits how big the chick can grow before it hatches.)

It's hard to see the combs on young chicks, especially if the comb is black on a black chick, but when you are able to see the comb (maybe older & bigger?) comb type might help with sorting it out. Marans would have a single comb. Sumatra would have a pea comb.

Is it small enough to be a bantam? I notice Cackle has several varieties of black bantams.

I don't have any useful thoughts about the other chicks at present, but it was fun to look at the pictures!

 

[newchickychick]

I think it's going to grow up black.

I wonder if it could be a Black Sumatra?
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/blacksumatra/

I think their eggs run a bit small, which would mean the chicks would be small too (because the size of the egg limits how big the chick can grow before it hatches.)

It's hard to see the combs on young chicks, especially if the comb is black on a black chick, but when you are able to see the comb (maybe older & bigger?) comb type might help with sorting it out. Marans would have a single comb. Sumatra would have a pea comb.

Is it small enough to be a bantam? I notice Cackle has several varieties of black bantams.

I don't have any useful thoughts about the other chicks at present, but it was fun to look at the pictures!

Thanks so much! I honestly have never directly held a Bantam, but honestly it feels about 1/2 to 2/3rds the size of the other chicks. There's two other pretty small ones too - reddish light tan. I didn't know if Bantams were possible from their rare breed surprise. We certainly haven't planned for them - but we've got a smaller coop while we're building the BIG big one so we can easily repurpose it to a Bantam haven.

I was looking at those, but it's just black all over with the little white wing stripe like Marans have. So strange! I will definitely keep an eye out on the comb. Right now it's too small for me to tell. Excited to see what they all grow into for sure!

 

[NatJ]

Thanks so much! I honestly have never directly held a Bantam, but honestly it feels about 1/2 to 2/3rds the size of the other chicks. There's two other pretty small ones too - reddish light tan. I didn't know if Bantams were possible from their rare breed surprise.

I would not really expect bantams in their rare breed assortment, but "small chick" makes me at least consider bantams.

We certainly haven't planned for them - but we've got a smaller coop while we're building the BIG big one so we can easily repurpose it to a Bantam haven.

Bantams can often live with big chickens without problems, so even if you do end up with a bantam, you might not need to separate it.

I was looking at those, but it's just black all over with the little white wing stripe like Marans have. So strange! I will definitely keep an eye out on the comb. Right now it's too small for me to tell.

Black Sumatras do grow up to be black all over, and they can have some white feathers in their wings when they are young. For any chicken that grows up to be black, the chick down can be a bit variable, with more or less of the black areas and the white or yellow areas.

Excited to see what they all grow into for sure!

I'm already impatient to see pictures when they are older, even though I know it will take time. Those chicks should grow up into a beautiful flock!

 

[newchickychick]

I would not really expect bantams in their rare breed assortment, but "small chick" makes me at least consider bantams.


Bantams can often live with big chickens without problems, so even if you do end up with a bantam, you might not need to separate it.


Black Sumatras do grow up to be black all over, and they can have some white feathers in their wings when they are young. For any chicken that grows up to be black, the chick down can be a bit variable, with more or less of the black areas and the white or yellow areas.


I'm already impatient to see pictures when they are older, even though I know it will take time. Those chicks should grow up into a beautiful flock!

Yeah, I definitely don't believe they would be in there myself, but man what a mystery. But mystery's what I signed up for, so I'm excited! As long as it's got a 'will at least not be bloodthirsty towards other chickens' attitude, it's got a home here.

Oh I never knew that about chick down! I thought they usually looked very very close to their pics. Very interesting!

Same. So same. I want them to grow up faster for cuddles, too. The little Splash Polish (SO excited the two are Splash) that was being picked on by the gold laced accepted some more antibiotic ointment so I could go to bed resting easy. NONE of the other chicks are picking on it and the gold laced has been put in a little timeout with the toppie until we can supervise in the morning to see if the behavior improves. Fingers crossed. All of the other chicks are so very content. Soft peeping on occasion, wandering the brooder, pecking at the little sparkly stickers I put in there to try to distract any pecking behaviors (it was just the one Polish. Argh! ), enjoying their little perch toys already, etc.

I'll be really excited to see how the varieties differ when we get our second order at the very end of June. I'm half tempted to add in a couple blue eggers though, as I know we got a few olive eggers from our first batch.

All in all, even in spite of the one chick having an attitude problem, I'm just overjoyed they all arrived happy and healthy. The variety still shocks me. I'm over the moon with them! Not a single one was lethargic more than a few minutes and perked up so fast with some food and electrolyte water. More than we could ask for! I'll be updating my flock page with these babies and probably poke back here in June to post what variety I get then as well. We're doing the 10 rare special and 10 top hat special to hatch June 25th. Gotta have more Polish, and hopefully some Spitzhauben too.