Did the hatchery get the breed wrong as well as the color and sex?

[kana9]

This chick is 9 weeks old and was bought from a local farm store that mostly buys from Ideal hatchery. The chick was sold as a sexed White Plymouth Rock pullet, but it looks like a cockerel to me, and obviously is not all white. I am fine with having a cockerel since I have 20 hens and no roosters, and could use one to warn the hens about hawks. I even like the color better than an all white bird. My question is, is this even a Plymouth Rock? I like that breed and have a barred hen and two partridge hens. I live where the winters are cold and was looking to add another cold hardy breed. Is this a poor hatchery quality White Rock? A mix? A Columbian Rock? Something else? He was very slow to feather out compare to the other chicks of the same age and different breeds. He has huge legs compared to them. The other chick in the picture is one week younger.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Delaware....the barring in the hackles of the columbian pattern. A simple mis-sex at hatchery (that 10-15% error rate of vent sexing) and then likely the store mis-binned

 

[kana9]

Thank you! When I first started raining chickens, a local expert recommended the Delaware as a breed that does well in our area, so I am happy to know he will do well in our climate.

 

[Gray Farms]

Agreed, Delaware cockerel.