Identify "colored egg layer" chicks from Hoovers

[TX Chick Noob]

My chicks are four weeks old now. I have five that are mystery colored egg layers, and based on what they look like I'm pretty sure three are the same breed, and the other two are either a pair of a breed or two different breeds. Since patterns can vary so much for some of these breeds I'm looking for some input. According to Hoovers they should be from a list of about 10 breeds, and I have narrowed it down some more based on none of them being black. And I'm not sure about the Comb, because a few of these breeds say pea and I'm pretty sure mine are all single. I will post their description of the breeds they are likely to be, and then will post separately pictures of the chicks. Edit: I know these are all basically hatchery crossbreeds aka EEs. But since they list them as different crosses and different color eggs I wanted to see what we come up with.

Easter Egger (They don't list these as a possibility but told me on the phone they might be)

Americana (Araucana/Ameraucana cross), but it says they have a pea comb so not sure.

Olive Egger (also says pea comb?)

Starlight Green Egger (also says pea)

Prairie Bluebell (Also says pea)

 

[TX Chick Noob]

This first chick is Jasmine. She had dark green legs, and hardly any comb that I can see. She looks very different from any of the others. Will also include a pics of her when she was really little.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Next chick is Coco. She and Jasmine looked a lot alike when I got them but very different now. Her legs are a much lighter greenish/yellow.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Then we have Ruby, Scarlett, and Dottie. They all had dots on their foreheads when very little, and little tufts on top of their heads now. Legs are a little more light greenish/gray. The group shot is the three of them and Coco.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I can't give guarantees because they're all mutts but I would call the first a traditional EE made with South American breeds and the others non-traditional Cream Legbar derived EEs.

 

[NatJ]

I'm not sure about the Combe, because a few of these breeds say pea and I'm pretty sure mine are all single.

Most of them appear to have single combs, but one does not.

This first chick is Jasmine. She had dark green legs, and hardly any comb that I can see.

That looks like a pea comb to me. "Hardly any comb" is typical of pea combs on chicks, especially on female chicks. So Jasmine is one of the types that can have a pea comb (Easter Egger, Americana, Starlight Green Egger, or Prairie Bluebell Egger). Based on the descriptions, she is not an Olive Egger because they only describe two kinds: one is black or blue with a pea comb (she is not black or blue), the other is Legbar/Welsummer cross (would have a single comb).

The ones with crests on the head are most likely Legbar-crosses (listed in both the Easter Egger and Olive Egger descriptions.) Cream Legbars have crests and single combs, and Legbar-cross chicks often do too.

I know these are all basically hatchery crossbreeds aka EEs. But since they lost them as different crosses and different color eggs I wanted to see what we come up with.

Comb type helps sort them a little bit (pea vs. single), and when they start laying eggs you may be able to tell blue vs. green vs. olive. I'm sure blue and olive should look different.

But you may never be able to tell some apart ("Easter Egger" vs. "Americana.")

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Thanks!

 

[FunClucks]

Jasmine looks like a prairie bluebell to me. All pics are of my PBB for comparison. My oldest bluebell is black (don't have a good picture of her at the moment), but looks like Jasmine in body shape, and Jasmine's chick body shape looks like the PBB chick I have now that has Jasmine's coloring. The PBB can have black feet, or any variation of black or non-black feet. They don't look green to me, but I could just not be describing them right.

I'm new to chickens, but I have 7 prairie bluebells, 4 starlight green eggers, and one olive egger. The olive egger has a single comb. The bluebells have a pea comb. The SGEs have a single comb. All from Hoovers via Rural King.

I have chicks that have wing feathers that look exactly like yours and the only way I can tell the difference is I know which bin I got them from and the difference in their combs. There's also a difference in body shape for my PBBs vs the others, but it's subtle. My olive egger and green eggers look the same (feathers, comb, and body shape). My PBB with the same coloring has a pea comb, and a more angular body shape. My PBB are angular and smaller, with raptor-type heads and beaks. None of my chicks have cream legbar in them.

I got 4 of my PBB and the olive egger directly from the boxes Hoovers shipped them in (at Rural King), and was able to see all of the chicks up close for each type of chick. Each box had 50-100 chicks? It was quite interesting to see all the within-breed variation in the batches that were shipped to the store. The PBB chicks had 4 different general appearances, and the olive eggers had one.

 

[MixedFlock23]

My Prairie Bluebell has a single comb. Perhaps she got in the wrong bin and she’s something different. I don’t know how comb genetics work, but with a leghorn parent, maybe it’s possible. I just hope she’s a she and she lays blue eggs! 9 weeks old today so I’ll find out in a few months.

Good luck figuring out who is what hybrid! I’d guess you may have to wait for egg color to further narrow it down.

 

[Painted Calls]

My Prairie Bluebell has a single comb. Perhaps she got in the wrong bin and she’s something different. I don’t know how comb genetics work, but with a leghorn parent, maybe it’s possible. I just hope she’s a she and she lays blue eggs! 9 weeks old today so I’ll find out in a few months.

Good luck figuring out who is what hybrid! I’d guess you may have to wait for egg color to further narrow it down.

At nine weeks old, you have a cockerel.