Help identifying a mystery breed?

[Dazza]

Can anyone help me identify this pullet? I can't seem to figure out what breed it is.




This one is a Rhode Island Red I believe:

 

[MEMama3]

I'm subscribing so I can know too

 

[Wyandottes7]

Can anyone help me identify this pullet? I can't seem to figure out what breed it is.

I'm not sure on the breed. It is most likely that she is mixed. Or, it is possible that she is a Black Sex-Link with a lot of orange/tan. I'm leaning towards her just being a barnyard mix, though.


This one is a Rhode Island Red I believe:

Yes, she's probably a Rhode Island Red, or a Production Red (a hybrid of various "red" breeds that lay a lot of eggs).

 

[donrae]

Where did you get them? Basically, did they come from a hatchery?

If not, I'm thinking the first one looks a lot like what I've seen of a buff orpington roo over a barred rock hen, making this pretty black sex link.

The second bird is some type of red layer, probably hatchery quality rhode island or cherry egger, etc.

 

[Carter Farms]

IMO first chicken looks to be a Buff Orpington over a Black Australorp. Second chicken looks like a Cherry egger.

 

[Dazza]

What are their temp requirements? I'm wondering if I'll need supplemental heat in the coop in the winter, or supplemental light to keep them laying?

 

[MEMama3]

I checked out the pictures and I think buff orp over black australorp is the breed for both our girls. They are very cold hardy and do not require heat. As far as light, all breeds require atleast 14 hours of light to lay regularly.

 

[donrae]

What are their temp requirements? I'm wondering if I'll need supplemental heat in the coop in the winter, or supplemental light to keep them laying?

don't supplement heat, they don't need it. Chickens were around long before electricity and did just fine. The fire hazard it too great, plus what happens when your birds aren't acclimated to the cold and the power goes out?

My experience is first year pullets lay all winter long, regardless of light. Chicks bought in spring 2013 usually start laying in the fall and lay right through until fall 2014 when they molt and take a break. I don't supplement light, I feel it's important for the hens' bodies to take that break for a few months.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

don't supplement heat, they don't need it. Chickens were around long before electricity and did just fine. The fire hazard it too great, plus what happens when your birds aren't acclimated to the cold and the power goes out?

My experience is first year pullets lay all winter long, regardless of light. Chicks bought in spring 2013 usually start laying in the fall and lay right through until fall 2014 when they molt and take a break. I don't supplement light, I feel it's important for the hens' bodies to take that break for a few months.

I agree with donrae about the heat, they don't need it unless the temperatures fall well below zero, such as twenty below. Just make sure they don't have any drafts, but that you also have good ventilation to keep moisture from building up in the coop. It's the combination of moisture and cold that causes frostbite, not cold alone.

I disagree with her about light. Some summer 2013 pullets may not lay at all until spring 2014 without light, and then next year many will stop laying completely from fall through spring without a minimum of 14 hours of light a day. This is a hotly contested issue, btw. My own feeling is that my chickens are farm animals and have to pay for their food. If they can't pay for their keep, they can't live with me. I already lose money on them in the winter when I'm spending money on extra bedding and extra feed (since they aren't out foraging for part of their feed as they are in the summer, and they're in the coop a lot pooping everywhere) and they aren't laying as well as in the summer. Also, I'd lose my egg customers if I wasn't able to provide eggs through the winter. Luckily I still turn a profit over the whole year since I make money on them in the summer, and that profit carries us through to buy feed in the dark months of winter. I also don't see any difference between my hens that lay all year round and those that take a break in January--we always have a few that stop laying anyway even with the light. The ones that take a break don't look or act any different than those that keep on laying.

The light is something you'll have to make a personal choice on. It's not as clear cut as the heat.