Male or female white leghorn??

[brett1984]

I bought these white leghorns at the same time. And they're the same age. Why is this one almost twice the size of the others? Is it a rooster? Or is something wrong with it causing it so be so big??

 

[BantamLover21]

How old are they? I'm thinking the big one is actually a Cornish cross meat bird, not a White Leghorn. That would explain the size difference.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

I agree with the above. :/

 

[brett1984]

They are only two weeks old. I bought them at tractor supply and they had some Cornish cross chicks there. I guess it's possible one slipped in. This bird has so much meat on it I can see that. Just have never had one.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

And the bottom one doesn't really look like a Leghorn, either.

 

[-Wirth-]

I agree. Cornish crosses are reputed as one of the fastest growing types of chickens and are widely available from hatcheries, which of course is where Tractor Supply gets there chicks. Whether that chick was boxed wrong from the hatchery, put in the wrong box at Tractor Supply or moved itself, is irrevelant at this point to you I'm sure. I would put money on the larger chick being a Cornish cross. My local Tractor Supply always has them when they have chicks, and although I have never bought chicks from them, I have seen several mismatched chicks in the bins that belonged in other bins for whatever reason. I had a Salmon Faverolles chick jump on top of its food or water and then jump out of its brooder the other day, which is basically the same size as those bins at my local Tractor Supply.

 

[drumstick diva]

Cornish cross meat bird