Mystery Chick

[EggieRowe]

I just got my chicks Sunday, but I'm DYING to know what my mystery chick is. I ordered 5 varieties, so I'm only 90% sure that I've identified mystery chick. The order came with 6 Buff Minorca, 5 Delaware, 6 Black Australorp, 5 EE, and 5 Cuckoo Marans. I can I identify all the Australorps, Cuckoo Marans, Delawares, and I'm fairly certain of the Buff Minorcas. I have 4 chipmunk patterned chicks w/'cheeks' that must be EE's. I have one yellow chick w/a light grey spot on its head & 'cheeks' - so also assuming that one's an EE. That leaves one greyish chick without cheeks and black mottling on its back - who I think is the mystery chick. Its also the runt, but the most energetic. No feathers on the legs and right now I can't remember what color they are. Here's a picture:

Any ideas? I hear EE's are the most common Mystery Chick from McMurray and I'm actually hoping its a roo - I'd like at least one. Is it too soon to tell? I looked at every single chick picture on the McMurray site and never saw one that had this silver/grey & mottled look. Its like a perfect splotched cape from the base of its neck to its little tail.

 

[dretd]

Boy its really hard to tell from the photo since its head is spinning!

My frist gut by looking at the back was a Silver Sebright, which is a bantam, btw. That would explain its runt-iness. They are straight run so you may get a girl or boy. If it is a Sebright, the boys are hen feathered but those combs really pink up fast in my experience. They have a rose comb so get a better head shot with comb and that will tell us.

 

[EggieRowe]

Just checked - silver legs.

 

[EggieRowe]

OMG, I totally didn't look under the bantam category on their website because I had it in my head bantam = feathered legs. Those chick pics are spot-on except theirs look more yellow. The moving head makes it look like it had a spot on it, but it doesn't. Its like a uniform silver color that is darker at the 'roots'. It almost looks like it changes colors as it moves around - like those peculiar metallic car paints.

I've never even heard of silver seabright - that's one gorgeous looking chicken! Fingers crossed now!

 

[dretd]

Glad it seems like a match. Here is the feathersite link for more pictures:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sebr/BRKSebrights.html

I just got done raising a pair for a friend. Very lively! She has a mature hen that is very sweet. The cock started crowing a couple of months ago and he sounds like a rusty spring on a door--cracks me up. I am so used to my roos deep bounding cockadoodledoo. I had another friend with a roo that she ended up re-homing because he bacame too territorial and flogged her little girl, Yours may be a boy or girl since they are straight run. With my friend's pair I was able to tell by comparing the two when she brought them over as wee chicks that one was going to be a boy and one a girl (the spike on the boys comb was bigger and it was broader at at just 2-3 days) but since yours doesn't have a comparison, you'll just have to see how fast his/her comb pinks up. Beautiful little birds!

 

[EggieRowe]

Here's a more recent picture. I think its a roo because a) it has a fleshy bump on its head already - none of the other 27 chicks have one yet, and b) it turned pink this weekend. The brooder lamp is making everything pinkish in this pic, but I've taken this chick out in the sun and its a pale pink. I've heard roo's pink up before hens, but I didn't expect it so early. Its not the runt anymore either - its a little bit bigger than all the buff minorcas, but smaller than the other breeds. What do you think?

 

[EggieRowe]

Feather view:

 

[akcountrygrrl]

If that is a rose comb, then my vote is silver spangled Hamburg.

 

[hdowden]

If that is a rose comb, then my vote is silver spangled Hamburg.

x2 and it already looks red in the comb so i will also guess that thats a cockerel in the making

 

[dretd]

If that is a rose comb, then my vote is silver spangled Hamburg.

Good call! After seeing hte legs and head color and the fact that it is getting bigger than Bantum, this is a top choice.