my EEs -- what are they?

[CovenantCreek]

pips&peeps :

Did you check to see if there was a "tail". Sometimes it can get picked at a look as if they are rumpless. The pea comb is usually dominant over single. If the eggs were mixed I would assume that at least one would have a pea comb.

I think they are delawares.

That's why it took me so long to question whether or not it was going to get a tail -- there was a feather picking fest when they were all 2 weeks old and 1 of the Delawares did lose all his tail feathers, but they're growing back and there hasn't been any feather picking since I moved them into the brooder coop 4 weeks ago. The rumpless one's tail end looks very different from the one that has his tail feathers growing back. The other one hatched with stripes.

When you say that the pea comb is usually dominant over the single comb, does that hold true regardless of which parent had the pea comb and which had the single? Is it possible that some breeds are just simply more dominant? I don't know anything about chicken genetics except that these two aren't purebred Delawares. Perhaps the roo involved wasn't a purebred, either, and passed along some non-EE type genes, the breeder hasn't responded to my request for additional information about their parentage -- and since they both appear to be roos we'll never know what color egg they'd lay.

 

[pips&peeps]

If she is rumpless, there will literally will be no tail, no fleshy area that the tail feathers grow out of. You might want to grab that chicken and inspect her.

I agree if they are delawares, probably a mix. I am really leaning away from ee's though, if the previous owner says they are, I would suspect very little lineage left in them.

 

[CovenantCreek]

pips&peeps :

If she is rumpless, there will literally will be no tail, no fleshy area that the tail feathers grow out of. You might want to grab that chicken and inspect her.

I agree if they are delawares, probably a mix. I am really leaning away from ee's though, if the previous owner says they are, I would suspect very little lineage left in them.

The breeder isn't claiming anything. I've emailed her twice and haven't gotten a response yet. On her web site she says she breeds Delaware, White Langshan, Araucana (including rumpless), and Ameraucana. The eggs were supposed to all be purebred Delaware. Obviously these two aren't purebred which is why I'm trying to figure out what they are -- I don't think White Langshan is part of this puzzle, but I could be wrong.


Edited to add: I checked the rumpless one, he definitely has no tail structure.​

 

[sara]

pips&peeps :

If she is rumpless, there will literally will be no tail, no fleshy area that the tail feathers grow out of. You might want to grab that chicken and inspect her.

I agree if they are delawares, probably a mix. I am really leaning away from ee's though, if the previous owner says they are, I would suspect very little lineage left in them.

I think that's a good point. Obviously the first thing that caught my eye was the comb. As I look at the picture more, the chick looks pretty good sized for 6 weeks old. I'm wondering if the tail feathers are picked out. Araucana are a smaller breed of chick. Not bantams, but not as big as most other large fowl breeds. HinkJC would know better, she's the resident Araucana expert.

 

[hinkjc]

Upon physical inspection you can feel a tail bone on non-araucana chickens. On an araucana it almost feels like an indentation on the rump..absolutely no tail bone present (altho there are some exceptions, but I won't get into those here). If your chicken is indeed rumpless, you would be able to feel it.

Jody

 

[CovenantCreek]

there is no tail bone on the rumpless but he is a good sized chick, the other has a tail but is small..........

 

[hinkjc]

Then I'd say, someone has a rooster running around in the wrong pen.

Jody

 

[CovenantCreek]

Quote:
Well, when the one hatched out with stripes it was apparent that he had a parent who wasn't a Delaware. I'm not really surprised that more than one egg was fertilized by the interloper. I'm more surprised by everyone's responses -- the curiosity factor of these two being so unlike other half-bred EEs. I wasn't expecting that.

this is the how the one with a tail looked his first day

 

[pips&peeps]

Well, it does have the characteristics of your typical EE. You should of posted that pic first!

That is also the down color of purebred silver ameraucana chicks. (just a tidbit of info for inquiring minds)

It will probably lay a khaki egg.

 

[sara]

Pips&Peeps~
Not to hijack the thread, but just wanted to say looked at your site and your Ameraucanas are beautiful. I'd love to get some eggs in the summer if you have any available