Did i get Ripped off ?

[Master Hatcher]

Last year i bought hatching eggs from a friend of mine supposedly BLRW's and Americaunas.. The BLRW's look more like Mottles or Orpingtons ! any insight will be appreciated !

 

[ReedsBirdsandBees]

Most of them look like speckled sussex but definitely not wyandottes or EEs.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Not BLRW for sure. Look like white skin? I’d say Jubilee orps.

 

[Hazelbunny]

I do see some easter Eggers and I think there is a wyndotte cross but the rest looks like speckled Sussex. Sorry

 

[happyhens1972]

I would say Speckled Sussex. But @AlleysChicks might be right in saying Jubilee Orps. They look nothing like our Orps over here in the UK but I have noticed that the Orps in the US are a much more slimline, upright bird than our huge fluffballs so she could well be on the right track.

 

[PirateGirl]

So Wyandottes have a rose comb. Rose combs are dominant. None of your birds have rose combs as best I can tell from the pictures. It is unlikely any of them are even Wyandotte crosses without the rose comb. (sometimes there is a recessive single comb gene mixed in with the wyandottes so it could crop up in a mix, but since the birds did not come from a hatchery, chances of this are even slimmer as a breeder would not keep breeding a single comb wyandotte) I'm not going to make guesses as to what your birds actually are, just suggesting that your suspicions are correct about not being wyandottes.

 

[PirateGirl]

Also I believe Wyandottes should have yellow legs, and your birds do not. Though I'm not sure if that varies with the wyandotte color varieties.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Actually breeding all rose combs is said to breed out your fertility. Some breeders (hatchery contracted) keep single combs to combat that purposely , and I see it all the time in hatchery stock. Maybe the friends birds... DID come from the hatchery, originally.

They do look like Speckled Sussex (maybe Jubilee's as mentioned) and some EE crosses. It's easy for mix ups to happen. Hate to say your "friend" ripped you off. I would be more of the thought that your friend wasn't too familiar with chickens and just passed on their poor info and genetics, maybe. Those aren't Ameraucana either.

might be right in saying Jubilee Orps. They look nothing like our Orps over here in the UK but I have noticed that the Orps in the US are a much more slimline,

Yes, when getting Orps (over here)... I always look for the English NOT American lines... But I think the Jubilees are still fluff ball status, unlike the Lavenders and some others. But things change so fast and so many people eager to get in on "breeding" don't do any descent SELECTING.

It's true they aren't Wyandotte... might have seen one cross in those pics.

Personally... If you aren't SUPER satisfied with the birds... I would start selling them off, a few here and a few there and replace out with fresh birds that you DO want to try... which will give you fresh winter layers too.

I'm surprised with ALL them boys that your girls don't look all bald or tore up.

Still a beautiful flock. Though I have been in your shoes before and it was a hard lesson... it didn't come on the back of a friend. I hope your and believe if it was your friend it was probably a TRUE mistake (of ignorance/misinformation) on their part.

Of course... you know them better than we do. Sometimes friend is a nice word for friendly acquaintance and not nearly the same thing as someone we know we can trust (even if they make HONEST mistakes).

 

[PirateGirl]

I had a similar experience, though it was not with a friend. When I went to the farm/breeder to pick up my birds, they had already selected all the chicks they were keeping for their own stock. They had then mixed all remaining chicks of all breeds that were the same age/size together in the same pen to be sold. At a young age some varieties are easy to confuse. When my supposed black australorp grew a beard and laid a blue egg I learned she was in fact an Ameraucana. As a chick they looked the virtually the same. Slate legs, all black fluff/feathers, no comb development. The farm had all different prices for different breeds so customers were paying specifically for the breeds they chose. Was I disappointed when 2 birds grew up to be something other than promised, yes. Do I believe I was intentionally ripped off, no. Mix ups can happen. If you have gone through the time of raising them, they are all healthy, they all get along, I would let it be water under the bridge. Still let your friend know, and chalk it up to a learning experience for both of you. If you have specific intentions in terms of breeding, selling, anything other than a small hobby flock for personal enjoyment, then perhaps action is needed, birds need to be exchanged, money refunded, etc.

 

[Master Hatcher]

Thanks everyone for the replies.. i just talked to the guy and went back and looked at our conversation and they are English Jubilee Orpington's i aint sure why i thought i ordered BLRW's ..but i just ordered BLRW's and Silver Lace Eggs .. time to clean my incubator up !