My Mystery Chick

[Charlotte80]

This bird is about 12wks old and is already the size of my year old buff orpington hen. I'm not sure if it's a pullet or a roo. It has the "shape" of a hen and NO spurs BUT it's comb and wattles are big and very red. It is a black bird with the greenish beetle sheen and red ticking on it's neck. It's legs are clean with no feathers and blackish grey. It is much bigger than the other chicks I bought at the same time including one chick that has turned out to be a barred rock rooster. I picked up this chick out of a straight run bin along with 5 others and the bin just said "assorted heavies" any guesses on gender and breed???

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

May be an Ausralorp! I'm no expert though!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

A standing body side shot would be good for body type. I would guess Australorp or Jersey Giant cockerel.

 

[ramirezframing]

for 12 weeks of age its a rooster, they dont get spurs til around a year, and it should be starting to get saddle feathers in

 

[Charlotte80]

I'm leaning more toward jersey giant because of sheer size. The reason I mentioned spurs is because all my other cockerels the same age as this bird already have the little spur "bumps" and this bird has nothing on it's legs.However I wouldn't doubt if it was a roo because of how red the comb and wattles are. Do any of you know if the Jersey giants sometimes have red feathers on the neck?

 

[krackowpolish]

could be a Copper Maran, or a Star. the gender i think is a hen, the tail looks like a hen, and same with the comb.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Since it was in a bin labeled heavy breeds it is probably hatchery quality so there could be other genetics at work giving the red leakage. But will be huge if is JG.

 

[Charlotte80]

It's a very large chick, Already the same size as my year old Buff orpington hen. I'll try and get a better pic tomorrow of it standing up in the yard thatshows it's shape.

 

[donrae]

could be a Copper Maran, or a Star. the gender i think is a hen, the tail looks like a hen, and same with the comb.

This is where you need to take age into consideration. If the bird was 20 plus weeks, I would also say pullet based on comb and lack of saddle feathers. But that much comb at 12 weeks means cockerel. He's just too young to have a rooster tail and saddle feathers.

I agree it could be a copper marans. I think that would be more likely than a jersey giant with leakage, I've really not seen that much. And I thought jersey giants were slow to mature, so I wouldn't think the bird would be so much larger at this young age, otherwise they'd be a lot more popular as meat birds.

I'll look forward to seeing a better pic. I have to say, my first thought was cochin from the pic!

 

[Charlotte80]

Here are some new pic I took this morning while I was out feeding the birds.