Mom of 6 chicks

[Mom of 6 chicks]

Hello all. This is my first post on the forum. I recently acquired 6 lively chicks about a month ago from a relative who hadn't a clue as to the type. She was merely birdsitting her parent's flock while they were away in Europe. I need your help in identification. I believe three are Barred Rocks and three are Black Ameracaunas or Easter Eggers (taken at about 7 weeks). In the picture, you will see two of the gray and whites I believe are Barred Rocks, although one has feathers on its feet. The other three have solid black beaks and black feet. Any idea in determining the sex of these chicks? Your help is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[donrae]

They all appear to be mixed breed birds. The barred birds have some barred ancestry but are not barred rocks, the black birds have some tophatted ancestry. If you want more than that, we'll need profile shots of each bird, including legs and feet to try to see what else could be in their specific mix.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Well they are all mixed breed. Mixes will be all over the board trait-wise so we can't use barring as an indicator of gender.
Each bird should get their own full body shot standing by themselves not you holding them. Posture can be an indicator of gender too. Make sure their face is clear too because that's mostly what we'll judge by.

 

[Mom of 6 chicks]

Okay. I'll be going for the photo shots and get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks much!

 

[aghiowa]

The barred ones sound like coo coo marans, known for their barring and feathered legs.

 

[Mom of 6 chicks]

I'd seen the photos of the cuckoo marans and was wondering. Here's another photo of the barred one with feathers on the feet. This bird also has extra digits on its feet. They are about 8-9 weeks old, guestimating since the niece never wrote the date of the hatchings. Also...the bird is quite dominant, picking on the other barred members of the coop. Roo or Pullet?

 

[Mom of 6 chicks]

A close up of two of the black chicks, Henny and Cuddles...both with solid black feet. One has an extra digit.


Another shot of Peeps on the left, Precious on the right.


Any guess on gender?

 

[donrae]

They're not Marans. Marans have straight combs and totally different body types, plus most cuckoos in the US don't seem to have feathered legs. Looks like there was a silkie in the mix back there somewhere, accounts for the dark skin, extra toes and crests/muffs.

The barred bird with feathered legs is male. I'm not sure if that's the same bird in the middle in the last picture, but that bird is male also. Everyone else looks female at this point.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

The barred one with the rose comb that's turning red is a male. The one with the crest and the ones with dark skinned faces will be tough.

 

[Mom of 6 chicks]

We had an inkling that it was most likely a roo, being so aggressive since we first acquired it. And yes, it's the same one. We believe two of the barred chicks are roos. The black ones...still not sure. The third barred one is difficult to snap a photo shot. It shows me the tail every time.