Help me with my "mystery" brood!

[woostephclan]

Hi Everyone!
We received our first ever newborn chicks three weeks ago from a friend who just started hatching eggs. She believed all of these were female, but had no idea on the breeds. I appreciate any help I can get!



Our best guess for this one is a Buff Minorca. She is HUGE!



This is the one I wonder about being a boy. "Her" tailfeathers are pretty long and straight for a girl, but I am a total novice at this. She has just a few black spots, but is otherwise white. Maybe a California Leghorn?



Our best guess is a Brahma for this one. She's also much smaller than the other two, but we can't tell if that makes her a Bantam or if the other two are just big breeds. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Not sure on breeds, but first pic is possible cockerel due to slow feathering out at 5 weeks.

 

[Barrdwing]

Cute kids!

The first chick has fluffy cheeks and a beard, a nice hefty build, and I think I am seeing a greenish tint to the legs. These are making me think Easter Egger. Chick #2 may also have fluffy cheeks but doesn't appear bearded, has a lighter build, and the legs may be tinted but I can't really say for sure. The white coloration with random black feathers may be splash coloration or just a "leaky" dominant white; I'd expect this one to develop more dark feathers over time and may end up with a Dalmatian dog "spotted" effect that's quite elegant. Both #1 and #2 I'm having a hard time seeing the combs, but if they are pea then that's another vote in favor of an Easter Egger parent.

Chick #3 is quite different and appears to have tremendously feathered feet, which is a trait that could match Brahma (which also comes in bantam) or may be something else, like Cochin or d'Uccle. Comb appears to be single. If she's markedly smaller than the others then she could very well be a bantam.

It will be interesting to see how these three feather out and grow in the coming weeks! Congratulations on your new birds!

 

[woostephclan]

Thanks for the good tips! You probably can't see it well in the photo, but the first two chicks are very pink on their feet and beaks, and both have always had a visible comb that's grown with time. Keep the good ideas coming!!

 

[akcountrygrrl]

They all look like barnyard crosses to me. The first two i would guess are EE crosses given the beard/muffs and yellow legs. I can't tell what kind of combs they have. The last one looks like a D'Uccle cross with the way its legs are feathered and with the single comb.

 

[ramirezframing]

what breeds does your friend have?

 

[woostephclan]

That's what makes this a true mystery. All the eggs were given to her by someone else. I know there were some rare breeds among all the baby chicks though.