Hoover Hatchery Cockerel - any guesses as to breed?

[Ponypoor]

One of my egg clients bought two chicks for his daughter from the local feed store (they bring in chicks from Hoovers), I have several chicks from there as well but I know what mine are.

Being a cockerel makes it more difficult, but here are his stats:

- single comb
- wattles (really nice ones too!)
- spotted / mottled feather pattern
- yellow legs

I was thinking Prairie Bluebell Egger except for the comb….

The shipment for the week he was brought in consisted of their ‘Coloured Egg Layer’ package, Americauna, Barred Rocks, and Buff Orps.

I have each one of these and he looks nothing like them. Of course Roos are different coloured than hens so who knows?!

He is around 15 weeks old here.

 

[RiDaGeckoGuy]

Red Sex link

 

[The Moonshiner]

Agreed. Male RSL

 

[Ponypoor]

Red Sex link

Agreed. Male RSL

Hoovers doesn’t carry RSL.

They do carry Amber Link and Production Red.

I am leaning towards Amber Link as I found a photo a Roo at Myers Hatchery of an Amber Link Roo.

https://www.myerspoultry.com/product-amber-link

He is destined for the freezer if I can’t rehome him, wanted to see if he was a dual purpose bird - looks like he should be.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Hoovers doesn’t carry RSL.

Sure they do

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hoovers doesn’t carry RSL.

Different hatcheries call their sex links different things.. I've gotten Golden Comets from Hoovers.. and yes they also show amberlinks on their website.. They're still red/gold sex links..

Production red are not sex linked according to my current understanding.. they're a cross between new hampshire and rhode island reds.. which should not produce white males.

Nothing wrong with freezer camp.. still best wishes finding him a home!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Different hatcheries call their sex links different things.. I've gotten Golden Comets from Hoovers.. and yes they also show amberlinks on their website.. They're still red/gold sex links..

Production red are not sex linked according to my current understanding.. they're a cross between new hampshire and rhode island reds.. which should not produce white males.

Nothing wrong with freezer camp.. still best wishes finding him a home!

Their Golden Comets seem to be hugely popular as far as what they send to feed stores. At least here anyways.
I think their Cinnamon Queens have rose combs now days so that wouldn't be it.
I'm sure they sell Isa still.
Amber Links are a RSL cross of some sort to produce feather sexable chicks.
Both sexes of those look similar to male RSLs but I don't know how often those are sold through feed stores.
If it was from an assorted egg layers I'd think Hoovers screwed up feather sexing a chick quicker then a color sexing one but I put nothing past what they do any more. Just look how many cockerels show up here from pullet bins.

 

[Ponypoor]

Their Golden Comets seem to be hugely popular as far as what they send to feed stores. At least here anyways.
I think their Cinnamon Queens have rose combs now days so that wouldn't be it.
I'm sure they sell Isa still.
Amber Links are a RSL cross of some sort to produce feather sexable chicks.
Both sexes of those look similar to male RSLs but I don't know how often those are sold through feed stores.
If it was from an assorted egg layers I'd think Hoovers screwed up feather sexing a chick quicker then a color sexing one but I put nothing past what they do any more. Just look how many cockerels show up here from pullet bins.

Yea he was supposed to be a she. Ooops

I also have one of their Midnight Majesty Marans which is supposed to be a pullet. But when Shirley started showing spots and a rather nice comb and wattles I freaked - their MM Marans is a cross of Black Copper Marans Roo on Barres Rock hens. Should be easily enough to colour sex that cross - guess not!

So two cockerel this year from Hoovers out of 9 chicks.

There will be no rehoming - no one wants cockerels. They will be killed and if no one wants the carcass then buried with my old gal that passed in the Spring.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yea he was supposed to be a she. Ooops

I also have one of their Midnight Majesty Marans which is supposed to be a pullet. But when Shirley started showing spots and a rather nice comb and wattles I freaked - their MM Marans is a cross of Black Copper Marans Roo on Barres Rock hens. Should be easily enough to colour sex that cross - guess not!

So two cockerel this year from Hoovers out of 9 chicks.

There will be no rehoming - no one wants cockerels. They will be killed and if no one wants the carcass then buried with my old gal that passed in the Spring.

TSC/Hoover's has always been bad with their "sexed pullets" but seems ridiculous this last year or so.
I'm not so sure it's not their plan but that may just be my not a fan talking.

 

[Ponypoor]

TSC/Hoover's has always been bad with their "sexed pullets" but seems ridiculous this last year or so.
I'm not so sure it's not their plan but that may just be my not a fan talking.

I had good luck last year.

This year not so much; but it’s nice to have a source for breeds we can’t easily get here, and don’t have to buy a large minimum order to get. If I order a specific breed we just have to get 3 minimum. And I was lucky to find a Lavenders Orpington one week, so I bought her along with a couple others

Not much variety up here with hatcheries here. Mostly meat and high production layer birds. And a minimum order is 15 birds, and very expensive.

At least we can get some different breeds through Hoovers now, Peavey Mart (like TSC) brings them up cross the border. Next year I may get some Brahma