I really need your help chick ID experts!

[GirlsHuntToo]

For the black ones - Black Australorps. For the Whitish/Lavender ones probably either White or Lavender Orpington - or maybe one of each.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Funny. This is my Australorp. View attachment 3843711View attachment 3843712

Well she’s probably just a small jersey giant I’ll never know!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Really? She doesn't have the australorp eyes

What do Australorp eyes look like?

 

[JedJackson]

They look like Jersey Giants to me. I see black ones, white ones, and at least one splash (the grayish one.) I also see some likely cockerels in the batch.

The main thing that distinguished JGs from other breeds like Australorps, at an early age, is that they should have yellow skin. The soles of the feet are the easiest way to tell that. They should have a yellowish tinge if they are JGs.

This breed is notorious for being slow to mature, which is why they never really caught on as meat birds despite their large size at maturity. They simply were not cost effective for meat production on a large scale. They eat a lot but grow slowly. They are a heavy boned breed, and bone takes more nutrition to develop than flesh. A breed like Bresse, for example, is thin boned and grows much more rapidly on less feed, and that's part of why it was so popular as a meat breed in France and now the world. With Cornish cross, it's a different story. Their fast growth rate has more to do with scientific manipulation by using two strains of inbred fowl and then crossing them together to create hybrid vigor in the F1 crosses, but it may be more complicated than that.

JGs are also notorious for foot problems, what is commonly called crooked toe syndrome. At this age, nothing can be done about it. As chicks, splints made from pieces of wooden matchsticks or other materials are often used to straighten the toes, with varying degrees of success.

Black pigment on the combs/wattles is often present in black varieties of chickens at early stages of development. With JGs, they should grow out of that in time. It doesn't necessarily mean they aren't purebreds. But if it remains when they are adults then perhaps don't use those birds as breeding stock, if that is the intention here.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

They look like Jersey Giants to me. I see black ones, white ones, and at least one splash (the grayish one.) I also see some likely cockerels in the batch.

The main thing that distinguished JGs from other breeds like Australorps, at an early age, is that they should have yellow skin. The soles of the feet are the easiest way to tell that. They should have a yellowish tinge if they are JGs.

This breed is notorious for being slow to mature, which is why they never really caught on as meat birds despite their large size at maturity. They simply were not cost effective for meat production on a large scale. They eat a lot but grow slowly. They are a heavy boned breed, and bone takes more nutrition to develop than flesh. A breed like Bresse, for example, is thin boned and grows much more rapidly on less feed, and that's part of why it was so popular as a meat breed in France and now the world. With Cornish cross, it's a different story. Their fast growth rate has more to do with scientific manipulation by using two strains of inbred fowl and then crossing them together to create hybrid vigor in the F1 crosses, but it may be more complicated than that.

JGs are also notorious for foot problems, what is commonly called crooked toe syndrome. At this age, nothing can be done about it. As chicks, splints made from pieces of wooden matchsticks or other materials are often used to straighten the toes, with varying degrees of success.

Black pigment on the combs/wattles is often present in black varieties of chickens at early stages of development. With JGs, they should grow out of that in time. It doesn't necessarily mean they aren't purebreds. But if it remains when they are adults then perhaps don't use those birds as breeding stock, if that is the intention here.

Do Australorps have pink feet? Because if so I think I might have gotten one in my batch of four chicks!

 

[JedJackson]

Do Australorps have pink feet? Because if so I think I might have gotten one in my batch of four chicks!

Yes, the undersides of the feet in Australorps will be will or pinkish white, with no yellow or green.

 

[rural mouse]

The bent toes can also be affected by a vitamin deficiency. A few years ago, it seemed like there was an epidemic. Speculation on a change in some of the feed brands occurred. At this age, they aren't going to fully straighten, but a vitamin booster can go in their water. I also found boosting their food helped. Mushroom are good...but a simple way to get a broad spectrum of extra vitamins into them is adding a scoop of rice krispies to their feed periodically.

 

[MamaPoult]

They look like Jersey Giants to me. I see black ones, white ones, and at least one splash (the grayish one.) I also see some likely cockerels in the batch.

The main thing that distinguished JGs from other breeds like Australorps, at an early age, is that they should have yellow skin. The soles of the feet are the easiest way to tell that. They should have a yellowish tinge if they are JGs.

This breed is notorious for being slow to mature, which is why they never really caught on as meat birds despite their large size at maturity. They simply were not cost effective for meat production on a large scale. They eat a lot but grow slowly. They are a heavy boned breed, and bone takes more nutrition to develop than flesh. A breed like Bresse, for example, is thin boned and grows much more rapidly on less feed, and that's part of why it was so popular as a meat breed in France and now the world. With Cornish cross, it's a different story. Their fast growth rate has more to do with scientific manipulation by using two strains of inbred fowl and then crossing them together to create hybrid vigor in the F1 crosses, but it may be more complicated than that.

JGs are also notorious for foot problems, what is commonly called crooked toe syndrome. At this age, nothing can be done about it. As chicks, splints made from pieces of wooden matchsticks or other materials are often used to straighten the toes, with varying degrees of success.

Black pigment on the combs/wattles is often present in black varieties of chickens at early stages of development. With JGs, they should grow out of that in time. It doesn't necessarily mean they aren't purebreds. But if it remains when they are adults then perhaps don't use those birds as breeding stock, if that is the intention here.

Oooh this is so helpful!! Thank you, I will go check right now! Thanks again this is what I needed to know!

 

[MamaPoult]

The bent toes can also be affected by a vitamin deficiency. A few years ago, it seemed like there was an epidemic. Speculation on a change in some of the feed brands occurred. At this age, they aren't going to fully straighten, but a vitamin booster can go in their water. I also found boosting their food helped. Mushroom are good...but a simple way to get a broad spectrum of extra vitamins into them is adding a scoop of rice krispies to their feed periodically.

That's interesting! It most likely is, I got them a few weeks ago and they were in VERY BAD condition. I will look into this thank you!

 

[MamaPoult]

What do Australorp eyes look like?

All of mine are super dark dark dark brown! I love their eyes