Koekoek?

[chalet girl]

I've just ordered 3 hens from my local garden/pet supply center.

I only know what they called them here (Belgium) and have no other information about the breed. These aren't my chickens just photos I pulled off the internet.

This first photo is what they call a Koekoek...



They call this a Brown Laying Hen?!


This is the Mouse-Grey Laying hen?!

I'm a first time chicken owner so trying not to over complicate this but would be interested if anyone thinks they might know what breed these birds are....who knows what I'll wind up with in the end? It just seems to be the way they do it here....I'm sure I could have found a breeder but I've friends who have gone through the same people and their birds are lovely and all are sweet.

 

[Veer67]

I've just ordered 3 hens from my local garden/pet supply center. I only know what they called them here (Belgium) and have no other information about the breed. These aren't my chickens just photos I pulled off the internet. This first photo is what they call a Koekoek... [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR] They call this a Brown Laying Hen?! This is the Mouse-Grey Laying hen?! I'm a first time chicken owner so trying not to over complicate this but would be interested if anyone thinks they might know what breed these birds are....who knows what I'll wind up with in the end? It just seems to be the way they do it here....I'm sure I could have found a breeder but I've friends who have gone through the same people and their birds are lovely and all are sweet.

The first hen is a Barred Rock. The red hen looks like a Red Sex Link, otherwise just some sort of production mix. Looks like there might be some Buff Orpington in her. The third hen looks like a Bluebell chicken.

 

[Jayzandra]

Maybe you could post some pics of your actual chickens. Some breeds look a lot alike with subtle differences that can be missed by the untrained eye. Examples are leg color and comb type. There can also be subtle differences in the feather pattern. Most likely you have a Barred Rock, because they are quite common, but it could also be a Dominique or Cuckoo something.

 

[Veer67]

Maybe you could post some pics of your actual chickens. Some breeds look a lot alike with subtle differences that can be missed by the untrained eye. Examples are leg color and comb type. There can also be subtle differences in the feather pattern. Most likely you have a Barred Rock, because they are quite common, but it could also be a Dominique or  Cuckoo something.

I agree.

 

[chalet girl]

Thanks! Will post picks next week when I bring them home.

 

[enola]

The cuckoo something would be a cuckoo marans, she is not a marans. Her comb is not the right type to be a dominique. She is a barred rock. I don't know what the other two are......

 

[Veer67]

The cuckoo something would be a cuckoo marans, she is not a marans. Her comb is not the right type to be a dominique. She is a barred rock. I don't know what the other two are......

I think that Jayzandra was talking about chalet girl's chickens, not the ones taken from the Internet.

 

[chalet girl]

'Production Breed' that's a new term for me! They will all most likely be something like that. I'll post pics next week.

 

[Badger proof]

Hi there. I have just acquired 10 Koekoeks just like the first picture shown. The females are black/grey with white spots and streaks. The breeder told me that the males have 2 grey genes and are therefore paler than the girls. I have all females at 2 months old and hope that they will start to lay at around 5 months. I am keeping them in a large hopefully honey-badger proof enclosure for a couple of weeks so that they can get used to their new home. They will then be let out to free range round our large garden and eat bugs and whatever they can find. They will have access to about 2 hectares so they should be able to find something! I am feeding them growers and maintenance pellets mixed together and a small handful of corn as treat before bed!

I have checked online about Koekoek chickens. They were developed by Potchestroom Agricultural College here in SA. They are a mixture of Australop, White Leghorn and Barred Plymouth Rock bred for their suitability to our climate and as good and long egg laying girls who lay brown eggs.

 

[Jayzandra]

I did a little research and I think the word "Koekoek" is just the color pattern "barred", not a breed, in another language.