Everyone, Meet Chester!

[MamaDragon]

Greetings All!

Everyone, Meet Chester -





Believe it or not, those pics were taken in what is passing for daylight today, in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. Sorry they're not brighter.

Now, I have a few questions.....

Is he a New Hampshire Red? or something else?
He's a McMurray bird, so I can be fairly confident that he's not a cross.

I was told he has a "double rose comb", but it looks to me like it's just too big to stand up properly. (He's got that Elvis Presley look)

But, do other NHR's have medium gray under-feathers??

Kathy
P.S.-- I used the photo-hosting here, so if you click on the images, you'll get the full-sized pics for better viewing.

Thanks

 

[Cuban Longtails]

He does not look like a new hampshire red. He looks to me like he's got a buttercup comb. Hatcheries do sometimes let crosses get out. I have one.

 

[MamaDragon]

His comb isn't split, it just lays down over one eye. I looked at both the rose combs that I could find, and now the buttercups, and it doesn't fit either one.

Will try to get a better pic of his head when they go roost tonight.

Kathy

 

[keljonma]

Wrong leg color for a New Hampshire Red.

Wrong comb for a Buttercup.
Feather color is good for Buttercup.

Are his legs willow?

Maybe he's a Redcap? I know McMurray Hatchery sells them........

I think a better head shot might help

 

[Slike]

Ya, if its a single piece he doesn't have a rose comb.

that's more or less a rosecomb - not mine, since I don't have any of my SLW pics handy on this laptop.

 

[ella]

Possibly EE/New Hampshire. I got that kind of comb on one of my EE mixes. I think it's half pea half single. His willow legs would seem to indicate some easter egger heritage too.

 

[keljonma]

Willow legs are Buttercup legs too.

 

[ella]

Buttercups have white earlobes. His are red.

 

[keljonma]

Yes, I know. I used to own a Buttercup hen. I guess you have better eyesight than I do.....

 

[MamaDragon]

Hi All!

Well, so far, you all have figured out what he Is Not.... now on to trying to figure out what he Is.

You're right about him having a green-cast color to his legs.... I truthfully hadn't really noticed before. He also has almost NO spurs, which is surprising for his size and age (15 - 20 months old, and standing at least 18 inches tall). He's Huge!

I went thru all the online catalogs for poultry I knew of, and NHR came the closest to fitting. NONE of the pics I saw matched him completely.

What I noticed when compared to the "book" NHR, is that his comb doesn't stand up, he has alot more gold/yellow and orange in his ruff and some on his saddle. He has a grey under-feathering on both body and wings, and much smaller wattles (i think i have the term correct for the appendages under his beak.) than what I found in the catalogs.

The base color is the same as a NHR, and the black tail. red ears, body size for age.

He was purchased from McMurray hatchery as a day-old chick by our neighbor, who regularly gets the exotic, rare, and unusual "packages" from them. She gave Chester to my son with 5 hens so he could start his own flock. He was supposed to be female, and you all know the story from there.

I didn't think McMurray would sell crosses unless ordered specifically, and our neighbor Never orders crosses.

keljonma - here's the description of RedCap: This Old English Breed with reddish brown feathers tipped with black spangles has a large rose comb covered with prominent points. They are white skinned & lay tinted eggs. Chicks are a light reddish tan with black speckles and some stripes.

I don't THINK he has spangles in his feathers. but the body and pin feathers I've found on the ground are red along one side, and grey down the other side.

The chicks pictured are simular to the 5 chicks we have sired by him so far... chipmunk stripes, with light yellow base color. One of the chicks is darker overall, and has slate-grey legs.

Now I'm more confused than ever.....

Kathy