Hatchery choice rare breed bin

[Kidwantschickens]

So I looked up pictures of buff/white/blue/black cochin chicks. These do not have that much fuzz on their legs just a baby bit.

The yellow one seems to be going to be a buff something.

The grey one doesn't fit any color. The grey cochins have white bellies, blacks have black tops with yellow bellies.

All of them are different from what these chicks look like color wise and their fuzz on their legs looks more like what you'd see on a black copper maran than what I remember from my cochins.

 

[NatJ]

their fuzz on their legs looks more like what you'd see on a black copper maran than what I remember from my cochins.

In that case, they may be Marans. Hoovers has several colors of "French Marans" (with fuzz/feathers on their legs.)

When I looked at your photos, I thought I saw the heavier fuzz that would go with Brahmas or Cochins, but I know photos can be misleading (like how I thought the one was black, but you can see in person that it's gray/blue.)

 

[Kidwantschickens]

In that case, they may be Marans. Hoovers has several colors of "French Marans" (with fuzz/feathers on their legs.)

When I looked at your photos, I thought I saw the heavier fuzz that would go with Brahmas or Cochins, but I know photos can be misleading (like how I thought the one was black, but you can see in person that it's gray/blue.)

I'm going to try to take better photos today. You can't see much with them in my hand and in poor lighting.

I guess the one could be a light brahma, not sure I think the other could be dark when comparing picks of other chicks, but a blue langshan seems unlikely.

Anyone know if hatcheries are producing blue langshan? It sounds like if you cross black and white you get blue black and splash... (This is me being hopeful)

 

[NatJ]

I'm going to try to take better photos today. You can't see much with them in my hand and in poor lighting.

It's really hard to get good photos of chicks!

But as they grow older, their breed will probably become more obvious

Anyone know if hatcheries are producing blue langshan?

McMurray lists Black Langshans and White Langshans, but no blue ones. Hoovers doesn't list any Langshans.

It sounds like if you cross black and white you get blue black and splash... (This is me being hopeful)

Not usually. Blue and splash require the blue gene. Yes, a white chicken can have the blue gene (and you won't see it because the chicken is white), but that appears to be unlikely in most breeds*

*White Leghorns are known for having the genes for blue and for barring. But most other white breeds do not seem to have those genes.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

Here are some better pictures. The smaller chick is the "Sapphire Gem" (for reference on color)

 

[Kidwantschickens]

I think this one will be a light brahma. She has more fuzz on her legs than I thought and more than the grey one.

 

[NatJ]

Here are some better pictures. The smaller chick is the "Sapphire Gem" (for reference on color)

I agree, those are just about exactly the same color in those photos.

Hmm, blue down, some feathering on feet but not a lot...

https://hoovershatchery.com/oliveegger.html
Maybe it's one of these?
"We have one line that is a cross of Americanas and French Cuckoo Marans. With this hybrid, most of the females will be black but a few will come out blue. We also have another cross..."

So if they are crossing a French Marans (feathers on the feet), and some of the daughters are blue, that might do it. (A cross with Ameraucanas should have muffs on the face, but since they spelled it "Americana," it probably means Easter Eggers of some sort-- and those might not have muffs.)

If it is an Olive Egger, you should know that for sure when you start getting eggs.

I think it's got to either be an Olive Egger from Hoover, or a Blue Cochin with less-than-normal foot feathers, unless it's something new that isn't listed on either website yet.

(I found that White Langshans have gray chicks, but they would grow white feathers, and your chick is already growing dark feathers, so I ruled that one out.)

Murray Murray or Hoover? I think it was Murray Murray, but they don't advertise that they have Sapphire gems and hoover does. The get an order from.the other hatchery tomorrow.

McMurray has "Blue Sapphire," which is basically a Sapphire Gem by another name:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/blue-sapphire.html

So either McMurray or Hoover is a possibility.

I think this one will be a light brahma. She has more fuzz on her legs than I thought and more than the grey one.

Buff Brahma is more likely than Light Brahma, considering how brown the head is. I suppose we'll know more as it grows!

Please do update as they grow, because I'm really curious how they turn out

 

[Kidwantschickens]

This is exciting. I wish I would have gotten more mystery chicks. We might get more but if so the kids will have to learn about selling pets. We don't have the room. Lol.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

Ok here they are at just over 4 weeks. The yellow chick I think is a Buff Brahma. Her name is "Lava" (named by my then 6 year old son)

The dark grey one I'm lost on (she is truly grey not black). It has feathered feet/legs but not as heavily feathered on the legs and isn't quite as big as Lava. Her name is "JoJo" (named by my 8 year old daughter who loves JoJo Siwa). JoJo is darker than the Sapphire Gem, but definitely lighter than the black EEs, and not nearly as friendly as Lava but Lava just recently started coming around and liking the lap sitting.

 

[NatJ]

The yellow chick I think is a Buff Brahma.

I agree.

The dark grey one I'm lost on (she is truly grey not black). It has feathered feet/legs but not as heavily feathered on the legs and isn't quite as big...is darker than the Sapphire Gem, but definitely lighter than the black EEs

Some blues are darker than others, so I think that one might be a dark blue.

I'm not finding anything that matches, in either hatchery catalog.
Langshans-- neither hatchery lists blue.
French Marans-- neither hatchery lists blue.
Both of those could have the lightly feathered feet and the single comb.

Hoovers Olive Egger "We have one line that is a cross of Americanas and French Cuckoo Marans. With this hybrid, most of the females will be black but a few will come out blue."
That could provide the blue, and the lightly feathered feet, but would have a pea comb (but I'm seeing a single comb on the chick.)

Since she's lighter than the Buff Brahma, she is probably not any kind of meat bird (some hatcheries have a variety of meat hybrids with interesting traits.)

So maybe she's one of the egger-types that Hoovers has, and they didn't clearly describe all the options.

Or maybe she's a new breed or variety that either Hoovers or McMurray is breeding, that isn't listed yet.

When she matures enough to lay eggs, that may help-- any shade of blue or green egg would mean an Easter Egger, even if we never figure out which hatchery or which name they would call her.

But for now, I'm puzzled too