Is there a good flow chart out there?

[wisefool]

I am new to chickens this year. Lurked the forum for a long while.

I am simply amazed at y'alls ablity to identify breeds and sex on pictures. I am almost lost. So..... I have 70 birds left. They were shipped as a mix. I need to cull. When I search for the potential breeds I have, I can come up with several pictures that look the same to me. Both on this site and many others.( Brown leghorns/RIRs/mutts. Buff orphintons or Buff leghorns, etc.)

Is there a resource anywhere (including any books for sale) that is a flow chart selection process? it can even be age specific like 12 weeks and older. I am thinking something like this

Step 1) Leg color.

If legs are green go to step 40. Easter Eggers.

Step 2) 5 toes? go to step 60. Silkies et all.

Step 3) Solid Color? Go to step 20. Solid color selection criteria.

Step 4) Even checkerboard pattern? Go to step 30. Barred Rocks, Dominues,etc.

........

Step 40. Easter Eggers.

Amaurcanas are often yellow orange with white and other interleaving. Adult femals will have tiny combs.


If this is confusing or already in the archive I Am sorry and I will delete the thread.

 

[Sillystunt]

Did you read through the breed data base? It might help

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

I have never heard of one, but that is an interesting concept...kind of like the website I use to help me identify species of trees.

If you find one, do post it!!

 

[wisefool]

Quote:
It does help. But at the same time I can get kinda confused in it since there are so many color variations of each breed. I am not trying to be a pain, but I am inexperienced.

Here is a specific quandry. I know I have leghorns in the mixed order. I have a couple of all white birds. I am going to assume they are male based on the stout legs,large combs. But I have not seen either crow. They will be culled and put in the bags labled dumplings. They are not delawares because they have no barring whatsoever.

Now. onto the next batch. RIR, New hampshire reds, production and mutts. I probably have some of each, but I would like to know the truly distinguishing characteristics between the 4.

I would be very willing to buy a book. But it is hard for me mine the databases out there at my level of knowledge.

 

[wisefool]

Mrs. Glassman :

I have never heard of one, but that is an interesting concept...kind of like the website I use to help me identify species of trees.

If you find one, do post it!!

I will do so. In either case, when I cull I'll take pictures of every bird and try to make sure my criteria were right by going through back posts here and make a chart.

I don't have any exotics per-se, but I am going to be upset with myself if I cull any brown leghorn hens with larger than average combs because I thought the were mutt roos.

 

[ChooksChick]

Part of the problem is that the shape of the body, and the angle of the tail and head may be the only major distinguishing differences between two breeds, and it's really something that takes an experienced eye to see.

Before I was very experienced, I'd never have been able to tell the difference among certain breeds, but now I can see it- but it's nothing a flow chart would be able to discern, as it would be very subtle, and depend on the age of the bird...body: boxy or slim, upright or level....etc.

Unfortunately I think it would still only manage to narrow it down for you.

Your white birds, for instance, could be White Plymouth Rocks- pullets, even, given your description.

I would say the best place to look would be this chart:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/dual.html

...which I would then use www.feathersite.com to confirm via pics.

 

[ChooksChick]

Whoops- posted the wrong link for the chart-

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

This is the one with all of the breeds.

 

[Uppity Peon]

It's a nice idea. I have seen sites for birdwatchers that work like that, Maybe we can develop an exclusive BYC tool like that. The trouble is, many breeds have many different colors, combs, and leg colors. EEs are a perfect example. But it could definitely be done.

 

[wisefool]

Quote:
I'll try it. and thaks to all for the resources. I probably do something like an excell worksheet that has filters. You can go left to right and filter on

"Leg color -> Black"
then
"Bottom of Feet Color->Yellow" And you will end up with Jersey Giant as a potential.

If you picked "Bottom of Feet Color->Pinkish/White" Then austrolop would be a choice.

Its important to me because I don't think I am ready for breeding my own yet. I'll probably do straight runs for a few years so I'll need to decide how to pick the winners and the winners.

 

[Rootball]

Flow chart sounds good, but remember it is almost always a holistic identification, meaning there area almost always other breeds which share some of the same characteristics.

as an example:


most Araucana, some OEG, some modern game, some sumatra, buttercups all have green(willow) legs


Dorkings, Houdans, Sultans(this is the only breed with all the extra parts in one breed(except maybe tufts))Faverolles, Silkies all have 5 toes.

There are very few characteristics which are specific only to a certain breed.


A flow chart will be a good way to go, but it will also be rather complex