Mixed chicks up

[bappl]

So, I incubated before I thought through what
I was doing. I incubated purebred black copper marans, blue copper marans x barred rock, blue copper marans x Rhode Island red, and blue copper marans x easter egger eggs. Now I have 19 chicks that I'm not sure which is which. Is there any way for me to tell? They are only a few days old.

 

[drumstick diva]

In other words only one group are PUREbred - I would think by 6-8 weeks someone will be able to point out which are pure, from all the others who are mixes. I don't think that person will be me. But, junebuggena, donrae and Queen Misha will most likely know

 

[Pyxis]

The ones that have head spots are BCM x Barred Rock - and they're male. If your EEs have muffs, any with muffs are the EE crosses. Also if your EEs have pea combs any with pea combs are EE crosses. It'll take longer to tell what the other ones are.

 

[bappl]

The ones that have head spots are BCM x Barred Rock - and they're male. If your EEs have muffs, any with muffs are the EE crosses. Also if your EEs have pea combs any with pea combs are EE crosses. It'll take longer to tell what the other ones are.

Thank you! That already narrows it down!

 

[donrae]

Some you'll probably have to grow out to tell exactly.

You pure Marans, you might be able to tell them. They should have heavier leg feathering than the mixes, and my pure Marans are larger chicks than my mixes.

I'm guessing the Marans is the rooster, and the Rock and Red are the hens? If so, pyxis is correct you have some sex links (from the Rock momma). Any birds with white head spots are cockerels. On blue birds, the spot can be hard to distinguish, though. Your black birds will be easy to tell.

I'm not sure you'll be able to tell the Rock x from the Red x until they're older. The Red x should get the red leakage, the Rock x won't. Both breeds have straight combs and yellow skin, but the white skin of the Marans should be dominant. They'll have light leg feathering, it's partially dominant.

Your EE crosses should have pea combs, and beard/muffs. They may also have darker legs, depending on the genetics behind those particular EE.

My pure Marans chicks (black or blue) also have quite a bit of the white underbelly. My mixes didn't seem to have that, they were more of a solid color. That may help sort out the pure breds also.

 

[bappl]

Thank you! All this will help!