Do Dixie Rainbows/Pioneers all look different?

[sarahandbray]

I know this breed is essentially a dual-purpose "mutt," but most of my Pioneers are a HUGE reddish bird, some with black tipping on feathers. I'm pretty sure these two 7-week-old girls (hoping they're girls--boys look SO MUCH more Roo-like) are Pioneer but they don't look like the boys or the other two red girls.

What do you think?

 

[Michael OShay]

Pioneers (or Dixie Rainbows) are hybrid birds breed by crossing other breeds so there is no standard appearance for them. Even the hatcheries that sell them state that "no two of them look alike." As for gender, the two in your pics both look like pullets.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Pioneers (or Dixie Rainbows) are hybrid birds breed by crossing other breeds so there is no standard appearance for them. Even the hatcheries that sell them state that "no two of them look alike." As for gender, the two in your pics both look like pullets.

I agree.

 

[BantamLover21]

Pioneers (or Dixie Rainbows) are hybrid birds breed by crossing other breeds so there is no standard appearance for them. Even the hatcheries that sell them state that "no two of them look alike." As for gender, the two in your pics both look like pullets.

x3

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Agreed with Michael. Most of my Rainbows were red but I had a few that look like the ones pictured above.

 

[sarahandbray]

Thanks! I think I have three boys and two girls...that seems to be my breakdown for every breed I got--66% boys
Oh well-they're HUGE, sweet, and hopefully the ladies will lay large brown eggs!

 

[lazy gardener]

I ordered 10 Pioneers this spring, for meat birds. Lost one early on, and the other 9 grew well, though they took longer to size up, and were not as meaty as the CXR would have been. The roos were vicious to each other. I spared the smallest pullet from the axe. She was the first of the spring pullets to lay, and I believe she is my most reliable layer right now. She lays a nice large dark brown egg. She's a well behaved bird, and I won't be a bit surprised if she goes broody in the spring. She loves the nest box. My gal looks similar to the first one pictured, even down to the greenish legs, though her legs are more yellow as she gets older.

 

[sarahandbray]

My Roo is GINORMOUS now at 12.5 weeks--theoretically, this would be his processing week, but it just don't think I can do it!!! He is really sweet, just started crowing, and worries about the hens so much, it's cute. At the moment, I'm working down the Roos in my flock--straight-run is a bad idea if you can't/won't process your own birds
I'm running at 9 Roos, 28 hens and would like to get this down to 3 Roos soon since they're all getting more mature by the day...right now, my big Pioneer guy is top dog, followed by Mr. Delaware and Mr. Barred Rocks. Lav Orp, Black Copper Maran, 2 Welsummers, and 2 Olive Eggers are definitely lower in the pecking order.
Hoping my 4 Pioneer hens lay like crazy!! The one pictured above in my sons arms has a crazy red face now (but definitely not a boy). Wonder if she'll be the first to lay of the pullets (I "cheated" a few weeks back and bought 4 White Leghorns and 6 Golden Comets that had just started laying from some nice folks locally...getting 10/10 most days! Crazy!!)

I'll have to get a pic of my monster Roo to show you all...and the girls are large, too! So far, no health problems--all vigorous, healthy, and well-mannered still.

 

[chicksurreal]

My Roo is GINORMOUS now at 12.5 weeks--theoretically, this would be his processing week, but it just don't think I can do it!!! He is really sweet, just started crowing, and worries about the hens so much, it's cute. At the moment, I'm working down the Roos in my flock--straight-run is a bad idea if you can't/won't process your own birds

I'm running at 9 Roos, 28 hens and would like to get this down to 3 Roos soon since they're all getting more mature by the day...right now, my big Pioneer guy is top dog, followed by Mr. Delaware and Mr. Barred Rocks. Lav Orp, Black Copper Maran, 2 Welsummers, and 2 Olive Eggers are definitely lower in the pecking order.
Hoping my 4 Pioneer hens lay like crazy!! The one pictured above in my sons arms has a crazy red face now (but definitely not a boy). Wonder if she'll be the first to lay of the pullets (I "cheated" a few weeks back and bought 4 White Leghorns and 6 Golden Comets that had just started laying from some nice folks locally...getting 10/10 most days! Crazy!!)

I'll have to get a pic of my monster Roo to show you all...and the girls are large, too! So far, no health problems--all vigorous, healthy, and well-mannered still.

I'd love to see pictures!

 

[sarahandbray]

Here's big boy at 12.5 weeks, today.

A couple of other Pioneer girls

Chicken yard, two coops