Help idetify breed?

[mango-o]

Hello recently adopted 3 baby chicks from a person who impulsed bought them and wasnt taking care of them. So i dont know anything about them my guess is they are about 2-3 weeks old not sure.

 

[gtaus]

Welcome to the BYC Forums! Those are some cute looking chicks! Glad to see they have a safe and happy home.

The chicks will be easier to identify as they get older. I'm not sure what you have there, but I submitted the photo to Microsoft CoPilot AI and this is the best guess it came up with...

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Thanks for the photo, those are some healthy-looking little fluffballs! Based on their feathering, leg color, and overall build, here’s a likely breakdown of what you’ve got:

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Chick Identification (Best-Effort Visual Analysis)​

Chick Position	Likely Breed	Key Traits
Left (smallest)	White Leghorn or Cornish Cross (young)	Downy white feathers, pale beak and legs, compact body. Leghorns are lean and active; Cornish Cross are meat birds and bulk up fast.
Center (resting)	Buff Orpington or Red Sex-Link	Warm golden-brown down, gentle posture, slightly larger build. Buff Orpingtons are known for their docile nature and fluffy plumage.
Right (largest)	Buff Orpington or Golden Comet	Cream-to-golden feathers, upright stance, orange beak and legs. Golden Comets are hybrids bred for egg-laying and often show early feather development.

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Notes for Confirmation​

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• Feather development: If the wing feathers are coming in fast, that can help distinguish layers from meat breeds.
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• Leg thickness: Cornish Cross tend to have thicker legs early on.
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• Behavior: Orpingtons are mellow; Leghorns are more skittish and active.

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I only want to add that if one or more of them are Cornish Cross meat birds, you need to plan to harvest them at about 10 weeks old. Years ago, I started out with Cornish Cross meat chickens. They are designed to put on weight fast and be ready to harvest around 10 weeks. IMHO, keeping them much longer than that would be cruel as they start to have all kinds of health issues. They have a short life span, and it should be respected. Others may disagree.

The other breeds would make excellent egg layers.

In any case, you should be able to be more certain of their breed(s) in a few weeks. Are you hoping for any type of bird - layers or meat birds?

 

[redinator]

They look like they could be Buff Orpingtons, but I can't say for certain. If you use the "Attach Files" button under the text box the pictures will get inserted into the post and you'll get more responses.

 

[mango-o]

In any case, you should be able to be more certain of their breed(s) in a few weeks. Are you hoping for any type of bird - layers or meat birds?

Thank you for the info and I would like egg layers but overall I'm just happy they are safe and doing well.

 

[mango-o]

They look like they could be Buff Orpingtons, but I can't say for certain. If you use the "Attach Files" button under the text box the pictures will get inserted into the post and you'll get more responses.

Thank you

 

[gtaus]

Thank you for the info and I would like egg layers but overall I'm just happy they are safe and doing well.

I understand. When I saw that you were a new member, and it was possible that one or more of your chicks might be Cornish Cross meat chickens, I just wanted to start to prepare you mentally that you might have to harvest one or more of them around 10 weeks. Some people have a harder time processing chickens if they have never butchered an animal before. In the case of meat chickens, IMHO, you do them disrespect if you carry them beyond their harvest date.

Personally, I started off with meat chickens and harvested them at 10 weeks. I grew up in a hunting family and learned how to butcher small animals at a young age. That does not bother me.

However, I prefer having laying hens around for a few years before replacing them. Laying hens can become pets after time for some people, but I always kept my emotional distance from the meat birds that I knew were going to the table in 10 weeks.

If you wanted laying hens, let's hope they feather out in a few weeks, and you will be able to have a better idea of what you have.

In any case, raising meat chickens or egg layers can be a very rewarding experience.