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?
below, Speckled Sussex?
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.
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.
Below, is the one who has the definate rose comb, up close
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..?!?!?
below is one of the middle of the road dominiques with her crummy looking single comb.
below, another one of the middle of the road dominiques
below, are a few of them in the yard, you can see how one has the slightly droopier tail.
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!)
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?
below, Speckled Sussex?
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.
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.
Below, is the one who has the definate rose comb, up close
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..?!?!?
below is one of the middle of the road dominiques with her crummy looking single comb.
below, another one of the middle of the road dominiques
below, are a few of them in the yard, you can see how one has the slightly droopier tail.
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!)
Last edited: