french marans? white eggs?

[LittleMoss]

I got some eggs, via my cousin, there were a mix of colours, but the ones that hatched all came out of white eggs. My cousin had mentioned that his friend keeps white star, buff (but I don't know what kind of buff) and also marans. I've googled pictures of striped chicks, and come across french marans (duckwing). I'd be grateful for any opinions on what these might be, and also what might be useful to look out for in terms of guessing gender as they get older.










Thanks.

 

[donrae]

You have a cute batch of barnyard mix chicks.

Since they all came from white eggs, none are purebreds. If the source had a Marans rooster, they could be part Marans. But, this chipmunk coloring is kind of the default color for mixed breed chicks. Several breeds/colors start out this way, and a lot of mixes do also.

Once they feather in, around 6 weeks, you can post pics and we can try to play Who Are the Parents. But at this point, they're just little cuties

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They can't be marans if they came out of white eggs. Marans all lay brown eggs.
I'm not sure what a white star is. Is that the same thing as a California White? I'm pretty sure those sex-links all lay brown eggs.
There are perhaps 15 breeds that come in the buff variety. Buff Leghorns and Buff Minorcas are the only ones I can think of that lay white eggs. Catalanas come in buff and can lay a whitish egg but they aren't very common so not likely that. Buff Minorcas are pretty rare too.
Off the top of my head, I can't think of a chipmunk chick that comes from a white egg.

 

[donrae]

Makes me wonder if the eggs were white-white, or creamy tan. Lots of folks call cream colored eggs white, but genetically there's a difference.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm with you. I don't think they were pure white eggs or I can't come up with a striped chick that would come out of them.

Sounds like they are barnyard mixes. Most people with multiple breeds don't keep them segregated. And some only have a rooster or two and they aren't always pure.

I have a personal problem. When people ask about a breed, I don't consider all the barnyard mixes out there and try to think of a specific breed. Then it is a slap my forehead moment when I remember that it is likely they have been crossed up with something.

In this case, I imagine the father was not the same breed as the hens that laid the eggs and by extension there is the possibility both of them are mixed.

 

[BantamLover21]

I'm with you. I don't think they were pure white eggs or I can't come up with a striped chick that would come out of them.

Sounds like they are barnyard mixes. Most people with multiple breeds don't keep them segregated. And some only have a rooster or two and they aren't always pure.

I have a personal problem. When people ask about a breed, I don't consider all the barnyard mixes out there and try to think of a specific breed.

x2

 

[drumstick diva]

x 3

 

[LittleMoss]

Thanks for all your comments. The eggs looked white to me, but I'm new to all this. Would I be right in thinking that if they were mixes, and they were laid by a hen which laid white eggs, the colour of the eggs would be the same, regardless of the rooster, or not? The chicks are a week old, I will post more pictures when they are six weeks old.

 

[junebuggena]

The color a hen lays is determined by her genetics. A rooster can not change the color she lays.

 

[donrae]

Yep, a hen that lays white eggs will always lay white eggs. Being mated by a rooster had no bearing on her egg color.

mating her to a brown or blue egger rooster will effect the egg color if their pullet offspring, though.