Help with breed (mixes) and sex for 16-week chicks!

[donrae]

Many of my favorite birds have been mixes. I enjoy the look of the flock--not just like everyone else's-- and trying to figure our who the parents were. Then again, by the time I've mixed for more than a generation or two, it gets hard to tell who the parents are, when you're dealing with mixes of mixes.....but you can still get some pretty birds

 

[frontrangechick]

Thanks, all! This is my first time with mixes and it is fun! While I know what my birds will look like when I get a Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, et al, these ladies are a fun mystery and will indeed look different from the neighbors' flocks. The Wellie/RIR mix is the most social, very curious. All three are pretty flighty still, but I'm slowly working on them.

 

[frontrangechick]

OK, here's an update, and I'd love opinions about mixes now that they are full-grown hens! At 21 weeks, they are all laying. Below are updated photos.

Here are two photos of Charlotte, one of which really shows her beautiful neck/hackle coloring. She is clearly a large part Welsummer, and those shiny neck feathers stuck around. I'm thinking Wellie/RIR is still a good bet. She lays dark reddish brown eggs. Thoughts? She is also very friendly, docile, and curious, as well as being the top hen.





This is Ophelia, who ended up being much prettier as a full grown hen than she was as a pullet. She's now a lot more peach-colored over all. She lays medium-brown eggs. I'm thinking maybe Buff Orp x RIR? Although she does have those little face tufts, so maybe some EE in there? What do you think?




And last is the ugly duckling of the bunch, Gertrude. She lays medium-brown eggs, sometimes with light or dark speckles. She's a funny-looking bird, but I'm still thinking Wyandotte x Colombian Rock. Any other ideas? She looks about the same as she did as a pullet, except much rounder and more sturdy.



They are all solid layers so far. I get 3 eggs per day, almost every day!