I know they are bantams but... what kind?

[FenDruadin]

I really want more of these awesome little guys--they are easy to keep, friendly, adorable, and... I don't want to keep inbreeding them to get more--I need some fresh stock, because this batch came from the neighbor's three chickens, who were siblings (and hatched from *their* neighbors chickens), and these also are of course siblings... so, anyway, what are they?

First, the details. They are bantams. The mother was a brown hen. There are two possible fathers--a white rooster, and a traditionally colored (like a Welsummer or similar) rooster. Very pretty. I will post pictures of the adults if I can, but I don't have any at the moment.

The four chicks hatched out in three basic colors--all yellow, a dark colored one with red highlights and some white marks on throat and chest, and two brown/grey patterned chicks with black caps & stripes down their blacks.

And the pics:

Yellow chick (first one out) at a day old:

All four of them at a day (or two?) old:

One of the brown patterned ones at a day old:

Yellow chick tonight at six days:

Brown patterned chick tonight, at six days:

Brown patterned chick from above, to show the cap and "stripe":

Brown patterned chick in my hand, with wing extended to show feathers coming in:

Dark reddish chick:

And dark reddish chick on my hand:

 

[Teach97]

look like OEGB or crosses with them

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yes. probably OEGB. They would be mixed colors, so it wouldn't really matter what color birds you get to go with them, just get what you like

 

[FenDruadin]

Thank you! That is kind of what I was thinking except--don't game bantams have super long legs? The adults of these seem to just have normal chicken legs.

I love that the colors are mixed--I like the surprise element at hatching time.

I forgot to mention that these guys are awesome flyers (well, the parents anyway). They like to roost in a tree by our driveway, and MAN they are way up there. The white rooster looks like a big old cockatoo up there next to a great big crow that is actually the darker colored roo.

Thanks for the feedback. And aren't the pics great? I'm going to post them in the "Baby chicks" section too because I'm so proud of them.

 

[spotsplus]

OEG crosses. The brown w/stripes looks to be partridge color and is a pullet because you can see the stippling on the wings. Roos don't have that.

T

 

[Teach97]

moderns have the really long legs the Old English look like chickens until you irritate them then they let you understand the bantam rooster joke...ohter games have long legs as well but the OEGBs don't

 

[FenDruadin]

Okay, nevermind about the legs. I just looked at a site full of OEGB photos, and I think y'all nailed it. The adults look exactly like that--right down to the fancy droop in the tail feathers, and the way they hold their wings. And oh MY don't they come in gorgeous colors??

What to choose???????

 

[Teach97]

choose..couple of each! Didn't you get the memo? Whoever dies witht he most chickens wins!

 

[FenDruadin]

Wow. You folks really know your chickens. I'm totally impressed.

I'm also totally excited there's at least one pullet in the mix.

And now I have to come clean: These aren't even my chickens. Aaaahhh! LOL They live in my house, and I care for them, but they belong to a young girl who will soon be moving into our neighborhood and then I have to give her the chickens. Oh no!

But dh really likes them, and I'm thinking of adding a small flock to our yard, so maybe I can convince my young friend to do some sort of trade whereby she gets additional genetic diversity (from ordered chicks) and I get--well, I get bantams! lol

Thanks for the terminology, too. Do OEGBs come in partridge pattern, or is that how you know they are crosses? And if I cross them with full-blooded OEGBs (from a hatchery), will I get chickens very similar to these in characteristics?

Oh, and

whoever dies with the most chickens... is there an honorable mention for whoever dies with the most ducks? Because I might be in the running for that one... but maybe I'll start on my chicken collection too!