Help Identifying Mystery Chicks

[freespiritmom]

These little ones are 6 days old, getting some feathers. I know the blacks are Barred Rocks, I have even been able to identify the rooster. I have six that are a golden brown - I am pretty sure there are 5 pullets and 1 roo in the mystery chicks. The pics make them look redder, but I am almost 95% positive that they are not RIR's. They are starting to get some dark brown/black outlines on the tan/golden feathers. They are super sweet and totally adorable.
Please see if you can help identify the mystery chicks. I am new at being a chicken mom and have been going crazy at trying to figure out what these little chicks are. Thanks

any input would be great.




I think my two roos are the ones starring at me. I am sure the barred rock one is, he is different from all the girls. The brown ones all have the same feather pattern, the little one starring has got white tips on his feathers.

Thanks for the help.

 

[dutchbunny83]

What type of comb do they have?

Best way for me to tell the gender which has always proven accurate for me is tail feathers.
At a week to 10 days old the girls will all have tail feathers the roos will still be fluff, just starting to grow.

 

[dutchbunny83]

They look a lot like the Production Reds that come in my chick orders as packing peanuts, but the darker on their wing is throwing me off. I am pretty sure that RIR's have white tip on their wings as chicks, not black, so that would rule them out.

Where did you get them, that you don't know? Did they tell you what it might be?

 

[freespiritmom]

I got them from Ideal they were the packing peanuts. My friend says they just toss them in for warmth, not sexing them just the extras they have, she is very versed in chickens and she is at a loss for what type they are. I guess I will just have to be patient. Ideal did have the Production Reds available when these shipped, so maybe..... I believe they are single comb. Tail feathers come out at 10 days, boy they sure grow up fast. I may have to be patient. Thanks so much for the info.

 

[dutchbunny83]

My mail order chicks have all been from Idea; (I love them because you don't have to order some ridiculous amount of chicks!!!)
They usually send red production males as the extras since no one wants them.
I've always given them away as free cockerals as soon as they arrive and disclose what they are. Surprisngly people always come for them, I guess they like the idea of anything free!
If it's a mail order and these are extras there's no way you have one male and the rest females. Every now and then they may mess up and throw in a female, but the people who do the sexing have had a lot of schooling and make a lot of money, they're not going to mail 5 females as extras....

 

[freespiritmom]

I was just hoping to get lucky They are adorable no matter what they are. If they turn out to be all roos then they will eventually be dinner. I will order from Ideal again, they sent great chicks, so healthy and had great customer service.

 

[dutchbunny83]

I ADORE ideal
They have messed up on a few of my sexed pullets, but no one else offers the low of shipping.
I don't think the production red males make good meat birds, but I guess you can eat any chicken....
Positive note-- We once ordered production reds so they needed the throw in a different packing peanut and it was New Hampshire reds-- we got 8 birds that I gave away and 2 turned out to be females according to the recipient....
But I'll be straight forward, with 6 extas you will be lucky if you get 1 girl....