Heritage id, dominique or barred rock?

HeatherFeather

Songster
10 Years
Feb 16, 2009
191
8
121
Severn Bridge, ON
I was gifted with 15 assorted heritage breed chickens two days ago, by a man who's wife left him a few months back (and left him with over a hundred heritage chickens!). They are all 6 months old. He didn't know exactly what breeds they all are, but knew a few...and that they came from a hatchery in Peterborough Ontario which specializes in heritage breeds.

He identified a few which he said were partridge chanteclers and dominiques, and buff orpingtons, and seemed certain about those, the rest he wasn't sure about.

I'm confused however, because it looks to me like the chanteclers have single combs, and also the dominiques. Crappy little puny singles, but they look single...now I'm no chicken expert by any means.....

There are also a few who I think are silver laced wyandottes, and speckled sussex, so plz correct me if I'm wrong.

below, Silver laced Wyandotte?
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below, Speckled Sussex?
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below Partridge chantecler? That's what I was told she was, but her comb appears single to me. She is *really* squaky, and very alert. The other chantecler is about the same as her only quiet.
chooks091.jpg


Below, is where things get really confusing, with the barred rock/ dominique complex. Here are, 3 in a row, which were given to me as dominiques. The one on the left most, has the largest comb of the 4 (one isn't in the pic) she seems farthest from the breed standard and she has a slightly stiffer tail, is a little boxier, and the largest single comb and wattles of all 4. Even so, however, she still has a pretty puny comb compared to my old production cross brown birds. Does that make her a barred rock? The one on the far right looks much more the breed standard than the other 3. She has a definate rose comb and is a little smaller, with just slightly more of a droop to her tail feathers. The one in the middle, is, well, somewhere in between these two slight extremes in both the comb and the tail aspects, as is the one who isn't in the pic.
chooks062.jpg


Below, is the one who has the definate rose comb, up close
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Below, the same bird, tipping her head to show off her rose comb, and right beside a partridge chantecler who appears to have a crummy single comb..?!?!?
chooks102.jpg


below is one of the middle of the road dominiques with her crummy looking single comb.
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below, another one of the middle of the road dominiques
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below, are a few of them in the yard, you can see how one has the slightly droopier tail.
chooks053.jpg


All 4 of them seem to have what I would describe as a smoky gray/black colour and a dingy white, as per the dominique description, not jet black and white as per the barred rock description. All 4 of them, the edges of the gray/black appear smudgy and almost like there is a little brown in there. They don't seem to have regular striping. Only the slight variance in droop with the rear feathers. So any guesses? Dominiques or barred rocks? Or some of each? or cross breds? or a really bad example of one or the other, and not one who's genetics I'd like to carry on?

I've been really intrigued by everything I've read about dominiques and really wanted to try some out...which is why we drove 5 hrs round trip to get these 'free' birds. (the true cost was nearly a tank of gas).



The ones that I think are wyandottes have such a good example of rose combs, so I've been looking for that in the other birds and not seeing it which is what made me wonder....

All and any help is appreciated, thanks!

(edited cause I put pics in wrong spots!)
 
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Yes you have some of each

Barred Rocks = Barred with single combs

Dominiques = Barred with rose combs

Silver Laced Wyandottes - you were right about them

Speckled Sussex - also correct

Buff Orpingtons -- the yellow ones


Barnvelder --- is the one in the the third pic that you were thinking was a chantecler. Barnvelders are double laced partrige with single combs,
Chanteclers are single laced partridge and have pea combs.


The red one in the fourth pic with the BR and Doms looks like a light production red or sexlink.


Nice lookin group ya got there !!!!!!!!!
 
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Thanks so much Rareroo!

The production reds are the 2 remaining from our original group. They're leghorn X RIR.
I've never even heard of Barnvelder! How exciting to have all these breeds that are new to us!

My 6 yo son had claimed the one barnvelder as his own chook as he had wanted a partridge chantecler (he's a proud canadian as he's been learning early canadian history lately)....wonder what he'll think when he learns its a Barnvelder! Well, hopefully there will be somebody in the group he can take to the fair next year-he was quite dissapointed that he couldn't enter our productions this past year.

Yes, I'm loving this group, they're a little shy right now, but I think they'll warm up
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Heather=^..^=
 
Heather, the description of the barring that you mentioned refers to show birds, not hatchery stock. Hatchery dominiques and barred rocks have the same pattern, while show barred rocks have a very crisp contrast in the black and white.

Here are a few large fowl birds with proper barred rock coloring

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Ah...I see.

I think I get it; a show quality bird needs to come from a hobbyist breeder?? Much like a show quality dog needs to come from a hobbyist breeder, not a 'pup farm', where they don't usually quite meet the standard.... We have a proper show quality english cocker spaniel who is GORGEOUS. Our neighbors have the same breed which came from a pet shop, and well, he's cute, but his face and stature aren't anything like our dog.

So hatchery birds, pretty much come from a 'chicken mill'??

At least they never had to live there
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And we're happy with them for now.
 
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I meant they do have a single comb. Every bird starts out with the comb they are supposed to have, just very tiny. The way I stated that originally reminds me of the feedstore person who asked me if a single comb turned into a rose comb later when I told them that their brooder full of supposed "Domineckers" was full of Barred Rocks.
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LOL.





So hatchery birds, pretty much come from a 'chicken mill'??

Pretty much. They don't cull for standard much, more for egglaying ability​
 
Pretty much. They don't cull for standard much, more for egglaying ability

Well, if not a bird for the fair, I wish many many eggs on this house!! (which is our main intention anyways)​
 

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