Lurker's First Post: Another Mystery Chicken

navajas

Chirping
9 Years
Jul 7, 2014
23
2
79
Sequim
Hey folks,

I finished building El Castillo Del Pollos a few weeks ago. I am a brand new chicken owner with twelve birds on the Olympic Peninsula. I bought three Amerecaunas from the local feed store and piggybacked another nine chicks onto my friend's McMurray order. I got the four black stars, two gold pencil hamburgs and the dark cornish correctly sorted out, but the two brown leghorns in my order obviously are not. My friend does has them among her birds, but what we're not sure is what the hell I have instead. My initial thought given the other chicks in the order, which included two straight run Welsummers, was I had one of those, but this thing doesn't look like the pictures I can find of that bird online.

Here she (he? it's got a redder more pronounced comb than the others, has no spurs, but is pretty big)







The other non-Brown Leghorn looks so much like two of the amerecaunas that I can no longer tell them apart. In fact, it even has those little puffy cheek feathers. However, no other amerecaunas were included in the McMurray order (unless it happens to be the "bonus" chick) so I don't know about that one either. How many other chickens have those puffy cheeks? I could pics of all three birds and see if any look un-amerecaunas if that would help.

Thanks for the help!
 
I'm sorry, what's the distinction?

Your confidence seems high. That's a bummer. Anyone care to relate how much of a hassle / risk it would be to take one or two chickens out of the flock at this point and switch in my brown leghorns?
 
Yup, that is definitely an Easter Egger cockerel. Easter Eggers are mixed breeds that generally lay blue or green eggs. They have no set color or pattern. Ameraucanas always lay blue eggs and come in specific varieties.
 
Well, shoot. :-/

It sure is neat looking, but I did originally want those Brown Leghorns. Guess I'll try and make the swap? Or just eat him?

Dang. No more mixed McMyurray piggy backs for me!
 
Oh, so, about those cheek puffs. Do other birds beside "easter eggers" have them? If so I could narrow down what this other bird might be.

Finally, don't Welsummers and Brown Leghorns look a lot alike? Are there easy signs about which is which? I don't want to get the wrong birds again! :)
 
Brown Leghorns have white ear lobes. They are very pretty, I have a pair now (had more, but lost them to cocci. :( ) Yes, other breeds have the puffy cheeks, but if they look like your other easter eggers, they probably are. Not too late to integrate, but I would do so slowly (i.e. keep them in side by side pens for a few weeks.) Good luck! That is a pretty roo boy!
 

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