I am pretty sure they grabbed me the wrong chicken...

[mrsruvi]

I went back to the feed store a week ago to get another Ideal 236 because my daughter liked the one we got and i was hoping for a few more eggs. I wanted one the same age as the ones i have at home so i wouldnt have to separate mine so i paid more to get them out of the outdoor run. When they are back there they are no longer sorted by type, you just have to eyeball them. the guy grabbed me a white one and handed it to me (with the polish that i bought cause it was so cool!) in a box. i paid and left. so every day for the last week i've looked at this chicken and thought "you are NOT an Ideal 236..." I think shes an easter egger. Which is a bummer on my "i want more eggs" front. What do you think?

This is my "for sure" Ideal. She was sorted when we bought her.

Those are two of my "new" girl. Look at her brown chest...Ideals arent supposed to have brown right? and no comb at all? my Ideal had me thinking she might be a roo for a min until i asked yall! I'm thinking shes an EE...

If shes a med laying breed i sorta want to get another. But it seems mean to exchange her. Will they give you a free chick? is 8 too many chicks?!


PS they are NOT In a cage here. They were "free ranging" (playing under my very watchful eye outside for a few min. They are too little to be left out, imho. But they saw me with the ipad taking their pictures and ran behind the shed where there is a roll of spare fencing and decided to run in and out of its holes. They just want to make me look bad.

 

[sophiejw]

No idea what an Ideal 236 is I'm afraid!

But in answer to your question about is 8 too many- no you're just getting started

She looks pretty though, I'd keep her and go back and get another one of the type you wanted if it turns out she's something else. That way you'll get lots of extra eggs

 

[mrsruvi]

Ideal 236 is a chick that is sorta bred for egg laying. Its a breed that comes from a large hatchery (Ideal hatchery) and they are essentially Leghorns who've been bred to lay 300+ days a year, large white smooth eggs. They are most commonly used for commercial egg laying. Typing that made me feel icky... but my girl lives the free life with her sisters, so i like to think i saved her from horrible cage existence that many of her not so lucky breed-mates will face.

 

[sophiejw]

Aah, that sounds very like a White Star (I'm in the UK). I've been trying to get a female White Star for the best part of a year using hatching eggs. First hatch got me 2 cockerels, second none hatched, the third was three weeks ago and I got one chick that I think is a cockerel.

Before I sold the first two cockerels I crossed them with my Cotswold Legbar hen, I've got a couple of chicks I think are hens (they are 7 weeks)- my cunning plan is that they will lay lots of large light blue eggs. Can't wait to see if they do!

I think you're right that your new chick shouldn't have white on it if it is a White Star / commercial leghorn type chicken. Wonder what she is!

 

[Pele]

That chick is probably an egg-laying mix of some sort. Unless its a VERY poor quality, I highly doubt it's an EE. Yes EEs can have all sorts of off-kilter genes, but they usually at least have the muff, green leggs, and/or pea comb. Yours has none of the above.

If I were to go out on a limb and guess, I'd say that it is either a male gold comet (unlikely if in sexed bin), or a white leghorn mix. The Leghorn mix is most likely because it's a common breed to cross with others in order to get high production birds. If that is the case, then like most hybrids, it's a mixed bag of what genes will surface sometimes. Yes they'll follow general coloration rules, but there will be variation.

For example, I have golden comets. Some of them look like RIRs with a white tail, some of them look like a white bird dipped it's head in orange paint. They all are sweet and I love them to death though. Horray to hybrids!