Can YOU identify these mystery chickens?

[tullypippin]

Hi everyone!

As a fun 4-H project, our club decided to buy a "grab bag" of chicks so that we could all try to identify them. I've been able to identify most of them, but some have been a little more of a challenge. Can you solve the mystery?

Chicken #1: Actually, this is a rooster, and he is around 3 months old. We named him Big Foot, in honor of his, well, big feet. They are slate-colored, and slightly feathered (not sure if this is normal or just a defect), which threw me off in trying to identify his breed. At first I thought he was a Langshan, but his build and coloring made me think otherwise. Here he is, the fine beauty:



Chicken #2: The Little Lady, also about 3 months old (um, the one on the left, not the right... the Porcelain D'Uccle on the right was photobombing!!

). We call her Charlotte, and she is very dainty, flighty, and curious. She’s one of my favorites, and so far I think she is a Cubalaya. She carries her tail on a downward slant. Any confirmation on this?



Any help would be much appreciated, especially about the rooster. He’s gorgeous, but I really want to know what he is!

Thanks!!

 

[donrae]

Where did the birds come from? That can help narrow things down.

I could agree with the hen being Cubalaya, and the rooster looks most like an olive egger.

 

[tullypippin]

donrae, I actually don't know what hatchery the birds came from- the person who ordered the chicks wanted to keep everything top secret! I'm guessing it is probably Murray McMurray, Cackle, or Meyer, but I really don't know for sure unfortunately.

Any other ideas on the rooster?

An Olive Egger seems like a possibility from what I just looked up- are they an actual breed, or just a mix of other chicken breeds? I've found it confusing so far.

 

[Michael OShay]

An Olive Egger seems like a possibility from what I just looked up- are they an actual breed, or just a mix of other chicken breeds? I've found it confusing so far.

An Olive Egger is an Easter Egger that is produced by crossing a blue egg laying breed (Araucana or Ameraucana) with a chocolate egg laying breed (Marans, Welsummer, Barnevelder, Pendesenca, or Empordanesa). The resulting offspring lay olive colored eggs. There is a good article explaining the differences in these colored egg laying birds at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html.

 

[Michael OShay]

An Olive Egger is an Easter Egger that is produced by crossing a blue egg laying breed (Araucana or Ameraucana) with a chocolate egg laying breed (Marans, Welsummer, Barnevelder, Pendesenca, or Empordanesa). The resulting offspring lay olive colored eggs. There is a good article explaining the differences in these colored egg laying birds at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html.

P.S. I agree with donrae that you have a Cubalaya hen, and an Olive Egger is as good a guess as any on Big Foot.

 

[donrae]

Olive eggers are a "designer breed", or hybrid more accurately. They don't really breed true for the olive eggs, and there's no standard, they're traditionally a mix of Ameraucana and Marans.