Help Identifying My Mystery Hens! 🐓

[Chelle1908]

Hi everyone!

On April 9, 2025, I received my day old chicks from the “Rare + Standard Assortment” at Hoover’s Hatchery.Now that my hens are feathered out and growing fast, I’m trying to figure out which breeds I ended up with.

The hatchery doesn’t label the chicks (part of the fun, they say!), but they did provide a list of possible breeds. I’ll include that below, along with some photos of my flock. I’d really appreciate any help or guesses you might have — especially if you’re familiar with how these breeds look as juveniles or adults.

As of today, August 7, I have 8 small tan colored eggs! I have no idea who laid them.

Possible Rare Breeds Include:
Appenzeller Spitzhauben, Barnevelder, Blue Andalusian, Buff Brahma, Cochin, Columbian Wyandotte, French Black Copper Marans, French Cuckoo Marans, French Wheaten Marans, Lavender Orpington, Light Brahma, Midnight Majesty Marans, Olive Egger, Polish (Buff Laced, Gold Laced, Silver Laced, White Crested Black, White Crested Blue), Prairie Bluebell Egger, Salmon Faverolle, Sapphire Olive Egger, Silver Lakenvelder, Speckled Sussex, Starlight Green Egger, Turken, Welsummer.

Possible Standard Breeds Include:
Amberlink, Americana, Asian Black, Barred Rock, Calico Princess, Black Sex-Link, Black Australorp, Jersey Giant, Brown Leghorn, Buff Orpington, California White, Cinnamon Queen, Delaware, Dominique, Golden Comet, Golden Laced Wyandotte, ISA Brown, New Hampshire Red, Sapphire Gem, Production Red, Rainbow, Rhode Island Red, Silver Laced Wyandotte, White Leghorn, White Rock.

Thanks in advance for taking a look at the photos and sharing your thoughts. Any insight is appreciated!

 

[Jener8or]

1. Gold Laced Wyandotte
2. Easter Egger
3. Sapphire Gem
4. Australorp
5. Easter Egger / Possibly Olive Egger
6. California White
7. Starlight Green Egger
8. Starlight Green Egger

 

[SJsChickies]

Gorgeous birds! I think Luna is a Sapphire Gem and is giving you some of those eggs! Nugget is probably a White Leghorn. Summer looks like a Buckeye but I don’t see that breed listed. Do the eggs seem to be all the same and laid of different days or do you think you have a couple layers?

 

[SJsChickies]

1. Gold Laced Wyandotte
2. Easter Egger
3. Sapphire Gem
4. Australorp
5. Easter Egger / Possibly Olive Egger
6. California White
7. Starlight Green Egger
8. Starlight Green Egger

You think Starlight Green Egger with those combs?

 

[Jener8or]

Gorgeous birds! I think Luna is a Sapphire Gem and is giving you some of those eggs! Nugget is probably a White Leghorn. Summer looks like a Buckeye but I don’t see that breed listed. Do the eggs seem to be all the same and laid of different days or do you think you have a couple layers?

Yeah, I was going to go with her, too (the SG) with those bright red combs and wattles. Nugget should be giving you white eggs and is the only one on the list that I thought couldn't be it (but has the 2nd largest/reddest combs and wattles).

Also, Nugget could be a hatchery quality White Leghorn, but I chose CA White because I thought I saw some black spots. If she gets more black spots (which they usually do), definitely a CA White.

 

[Chelle1908]

1. Gold Laced Wyandotte
2. Easter Egger
3. Sapphire Gem
4. Australorp
5. Easter Egger / Possibly Olive Egger
6. California White
7. Starlight Green Egger
8. Starlight Green Egger

Thank you so much!! Which girls do you believe are #5, 7, and 8?

 

[SJsChickies]

Yeah, I was going to go with her, too (the SG) with those bright red combs and wattles. Nugget should be giving you white eggs and is the only one on the list that I thought couldn't be it (but has the 2nd largest/reddest combs and wattles).

Also, Nugget could be a hatchery quality White Leghorn, but I chose CA White because I thought I saw some black spots. If she gets more black spots (which they usually do), definitely a CA White.

My SG’s comb and wattles look EXACTLY like that and she started laying a week ago. Tiny perfect tan eggs
I didn’t see the black spots. Good catch! She’ll prob be laying real soon.

 

[Jener8or]

You think Starlight Green Egger with those combs?

Yeah, they are supposed to have Pea combs (but I don't think the bird Hoover's uses in their picture has a pea comb .)

 

[Jener8or]

Thank you so much!! Which girls do you believe are #5, 7, and 8?

They are in the order pictured (sorry I should have mentioned that). Here they are named:

1. Gold Laced Wyandotte - "Goldie"
2. Easter Egger - "Dulce"
3. Sapphire Gem - "Luna"
4. Australorp - "Jackie"
5. Easter Egger / Possibly Olive Egger - "Stranger"
6. California White - "Nugget"
7. Starlight Green Egger - "Summer"
8. Starlight Green Egger - "Red"

 

[Chelle1908]

Gorgeous birds! I think Luna is a Sapphire Gem and is giving you some of those eggs! Nugget is probably a White Leghorn. Summer looks like a Buckeye but I don’t see that breed listed. Do the eggs seem to be all the same and laid of different days or do you think you have a couple layers?

Thank you! I was thinking Luna was a Sapphire Gem too! Either that or the Sapphire Olive Egger.

I think that there are 1 or 2 layers. I think 2 or 3 of the tan eggs had teeny tiny brown speckles.

Gorgeous birds! I think Luna is a Sapphire Gem and is giving you some of those eggs! Nugget is probably a White Leghorn. Summer looks like a Buckeye but I don’t see that breed listed. Do the eggs seem to be all the same and laid of different days or do you think you have a couple layers?