How come people don't know what they have?

[lauraleigh]

OK, this is a dumb question, but how is it that people don't know what kind of chicken they have? Many people on this forum seem to have ordered chickens from suppliers like McMurray, and I thought if you ordered Breed X, you got Breed X, and that was it. Is that not true? This is important to me because I don't have a flock yet and if I decided I wanted to raise Chanticlers, which are on the threatened list, I wouldn't want to wonder what I had.
Thanks, LauraLeigh

 

[sdm1277]

well i have taken chickens from people who do not want them anymore and they had no idea what they had. i had to ask for help identifying a sultan because i had no idea what he was... some people are new to this and just don't know.... personally i LOVE silkies but i have a variety..

 

[Mrsfoote]

Very good question I didn't know what I had cuz I went to tractor supply to get my dogs shots and they had chick days imagine my suprise when my husband who doesn't EVER want anymore pets suggested getting chicks....and how could I say no so we just got some turned out tho we ended up with a black silkie who was in a chochin bin SCORE for me I love her the other ones my sister in law got the same day because heaven forbid she couldn't not have chickens and guess who is rasing and taking care of them and housing them and all the other stuff

 

[HennyJenny]

It's just a guess but several of the hatcheries have good deal packages on "leftovers" so you get hatchery's choice - and it might be difficult to tell what they are.

Another guess - but relevant to me - is that I ordered 8 different breeds - 6 of which looked like little striped chipmunks as day olds. After a couple of weeks I could tell - but as day olds I was just guessing.

Odds are if you order chanticleers - you're going to get chanticleers - the over unders on the roo factor are anybody's guess though.

 

[turtlebird]

Hatchery choice, brown egg layer special, rare bird special, etc

 

[wsdareme]

When you order 12 different chicks that are 12 different breeds, and you are new to chickens, it can be hard to tell which chick is which breed! It took me quite a while to know for certain which was which. Try telling a Barred Rock, Silver Cuckoo Marans, and Dominique apart when they're young and you're new to chickens. Plus, a lot of people buy straight run chicks from a feed store, and sometimes it's a crap shoot what breed (or mix of breeds) they get. The tubs might be labeled, but who knows if the label is correct or if people looking at them and picking them up and putting them back in the right bin.

 

[lauraleigh]

Thanks a lot for your great replies! It just shows to go ya that we make assumptions all the time. Until I get out there and buy my first chickens, a lot of the "real chicken world" will be a secret.

But I can't wait!

 

[operator16]

Maybe the hatcheries are more reliable, but our feed store admitted to some guessing on their part when the chicks came in. All the yellow, orange, cream chicks went into the same bin and they called them all BOs....


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[jeslewmazer]

Don't forget that some people just plain out forget what they have.

 

[cejunes]

I tend to get mine from feed stores, craigslist, or swaps with people in my area and it isn't always known what they are. I did get some from a hatchery (actually a neighbor did) and the don't always get them right either or if they are out of a specific breed, they will subsitute another breed.