Chick identity crisis...what the heck are they?? (Image heavy)

[FlewTheCoop]

(Just a note, I know my brooder is dirty...today is cleaning day. I am not a bad mama I promise.)

Ok. I have a brooder full of fat and sassy chicks. One batch is 10 days old, and the new batch we just got yesterday is, well, about 2 to 3 days old I guess.

My main interest was in SLWs. As chicks, we noticed some of them looked a bit different (no silver striping on the back, for instance, and solid black heads, white bibs). But we figured it was just a variation. As they get older, they are still looking quite different.

The NEW batch is full of cute little packing peanuts, but they look different from the ones we got last time, which all looked exactly the same and I believe were RRRs. We have since given them all away.

Ok, here we go with the pictures.

#1) She is supposed to be a 10 day old SLW. What do you think? Solid black head, no silver striping, some white coming out on the wing feathers, white bib.

#2) Both supposed to be 10 day old SLW pullets...see the difference? What's up with that?

#3) Typical looking SLW pullet (10 days old)...what I thought they were all supposed to look like. Right?

#4) New babies and a mystery PP. The PP is redder than all the others all over, and his head is fluffier and fatter looking, and he has white wing feathers coming in. The other little baby is a SLW cockerel. What do you think about that PP? Not a RRR?

#5) And finally, a bad picture (hard to photograph those moving targets) of two of the other PPs...they just look a lot paler than the first batch we got 10 days ago, which were all sort of rusty on the back and had brown wing feathers coming in. These little guys' heads are very pale yellow, their backs have only a hint of rusty reddish color, but their little stubby wings are tan/brown. RRRs? I know it's early. Just very curious.

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So, that's it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wyliefarms]

They are cute!

Where did you get them from? If a feed store, then who knows what you got

 

[FlewTheCoop]

We ordered from Ideal. We lost a few SLWs in the first batch, so we just got our replacments yesterday morning. All in all they look great...just really wondering about those little mostly black pullets. I guess we'll have to wait and see. As far as the PPs go, I'm just curious.

They are cute, aren't they?

 

[FlewTheCoop]

Anyone? It's driving me nuts!

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
Thats a good thing then! Cause that floor is a Cocci breeding ground! LOL

 

[aidenbaby]

Don't feel bad about that, today was cleaning day for my brooder too. I must admit that I'm surprised that the volume of manure increases in volume as does their size. LOL I better be careful or I'll be cleaning twice a day.

 

[Laney]

You think the manure increasing in size with them is bad.... I'll never get ducks at the same time as chicks again. Not because of them getting along. They get along great. No injuries, no fights. In that matter it's been great.

However, the ducks make a Holy mess and are thrilled to live in it. Combine that with the amount of manure the chickens put out and whoa baby.

Nope, it's enough to have tons of poop on dry bedding.

I can't wait, my coop should be done later today and then my chicks get a home all to themselves!!! Yay. My chicks will breath a sigh of relief and say "Finally it's worth cleaning our feathers!!".

I could clean this pen out twice a day and it wouldn't matter.

Laney