Is this a chicken?

[sdm111]

Seems to me more likely a peacomb gamefowl. Black eyes and the multicolored legs/feet seem like a miner blue or at least part. I breed miners and see this often. It's hard to know for sure cause the blues come all different colors

 

[sdm111]

 

[ButteCA]

For goodness' sake, folks. Here's a young vulture. http://www.fotolibra.com/gallery/78657/turkey-vulture-chick/
Three major things that are different here.
First, vultures feather out differently.
Second, the body is carried differently.
Third, and most obvious, please note the head. Vultures, condors, and the like all have completely naked heads. This allows them to reach into carcasses without covering their feathers in gore. Their heads start out naked and continue to be naked. The chicken in the first post does not have a naked head because she is not a vulture.

Rachel could possibly be an escapee from a cockfighting operation, do you know if anything like that might be in the area? The feistiness and flying ability makes me think of Hawaiian feral chickens, a lot of which are descended from escaped fighting birds. Besides, that lanky, black-feathered frame with minimal to no comb looks a lot like Hawaiian feral hens, I saw several that looked exactly like her when I was in Kauai. Assuming you aren't in Hawaii, I seriously think you have a cockfighting bird there. I could be totally wrong, though, she might be a purebred of something more junglefowl-like, or just an odd mutt. If she is fighting stock, she could still be a perfectly nice bird. The hens in Hawaii get along with each other perfectly fine.

I googled Hawaiian feral chicken. There is a small city I live near. Not terribly small but pretty small and they have wild chickens all over the place. They look like the Hawaiian feral hens. They are really small and the hens have those cool looking fan feathers. I know it’s a little off topic but is crazy how the chickens can adapt. There is actually a pizza place with a chicken pizza and it says not parking lot chicken on the menu lol.

 

[Fishkeeper]

The Hawaiian chickens started out as chickens brought over by the Polynesians, which were very similar to their junglefowl ancestors, and then fighting stock got mixed in later. They're a good example of what happens when you start off with relatively wild-type chickens and then start selecting for ones that are more adapted to survive on their own. The fastest ones avoid being captured by predators and humans, and as the generations go on, they start getting better at flying and running, and they basically do their best to turn back into junglefowl. Feral chickens that have been breeding for a good few generations end up as something very similar to a wild bird. They're fast, smart, fly well, and can put up a fight if something threatens them. They can be gorgeous, too, especially the roosters.
A similar process happens with chickens bred for fighting that are taken from mutt stock. The strongest, fastest, most agile, least fat-domesticated-bird-like are the ones that survive and are bred.

Rachel is growing up into a pretty bird, can't wait to see what she turns out to be. Careful she doesn't escape, she'll probably be able to fly surprisingly well when she matures.

I'd suggest putting a fake snake in there, see what they think of it. I'm curious if Rachel would be especially prone to trying to kill it.

 

[kelliguthrie]

Funny Story.. For the last 3 months one of our neighbors has brought his outcast chickens to my house.. Mostly because he knows i'll take them no matter what. For a while I rescued stray dogs and lately stray or outcast chickens.. So yesterday he looks out the kitchen window and there were 3 large ravens in the front yard walking around like they belong.. He looks at me and points out the window and says "well I know why he brought those, they sure are ugly.. But ugly birds need love too" and shakes his head and walks away.. I had tears in my eyes laughing when I saw what he was pointing at.. A little while later he goes out to collect eggs and comes back in all upset because he can't find the 3 ugly chickens. I almost didn't have the heart to tell him they were ravens.. lmao!!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Funny Story.. For the last 3 months one of our neighbors has brought his outcast chickens to my house.. Mostly because he knows i'll take them no matter what. For a while I rescued stray dogs and lately stray or outcast chickens.. So yesterday he looks out the kitchen window and there were 3 large ravens in the front yard walking around like they belong.. He looks at me and points out the window and says "well I know why he brought those, they sure are ugly.. But ugly birds need love too" and shakes his head and walks away.. I had tears in my eyes laughing when I saw what he was pointing at.. A little while later he goes out to collect eggs and comes back in all upset because he can't find the 3 ugly chickens. I almost didn't have the heart to tell him they were ravens.. lmao!!

 

[getaclue]

kelli, that is soooooo funny.

 

[ButteCA]

The Hawaiian chickens started out as chickens brought over by the Polynesians, which were very similar to their junglefowl ancestors, and then fighting stock got mixed in later. They're a good example of what happens when you start off with relatively wild-type chickens and then start selecting for ones that are more adapted to survive on their own. The fastest ones avoid being captured by predators and humans, and as the generations go on, they start getting better at flying and running, and they basically do their best to turn back into junglefowl. Feral chickens that have been breeding for a good few generations end up as something very similar to a wild bird. They're fast, smart, fly well, and can put up a fight if something threatens them. They can be gorgeous, too, especially the roosters.
A similar process happens with chickens bred for fighting that are taken from mutt stock. The strongest, fastest, most agile, least fat-domesticated-bird-like are the ones that survive and are bred.

Rachel is growing up into a pretty bird, can't wait to see what she turns out to be. Careful she doesn't escape, she'll probably be able to fly surprisingly well when she matures.

I'd suggest putting a fake snake in there, see what they think of it. I'm curious if Rachel would be especially prone to trying to kill it.

I was in town and I got some pics! Ha ha! I have no idea why no one cares,probably because it’s not hurting anything, but there are flocks of chickens all over this town. You can see them when you are driving down the freeway. These ones just happen to be in a shopping center area near restaurants and fast food and clothing stores.My daughter wanted to catch one so bad lol. She’s too much of a country girl to bring to town sometimes.I have to keep her in the wild.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

They look like Japanese bantams!!

 

[ButteCA]

They look like Japanese bantams!!

They look like Japanese bantams!!

They are so cute and the roosters are tiny and so colorful I just wanted to hug them. It took a lot of self control not to let my daughter wrangle a couple in the in the burger joint parking lot. Too many cars is what swayed my decision lol.