Mystery chickens! (UPDATED PICS)

[dfdesigns]

That's funny - I finally asked my friend where she ordered the chicks from, and it was My Pet Chicken! She was just thinking since we ordered so late in the year that they ran around picking random chicks to make her order... she thinks she has a Columbian Wyandotte with her flock. (I think she said she got a few Polish, two more Barred Rocks and who knows what else.)

Everybody was supposed to be a pullet; how accurate is MPC normally with sexing?

And for Cabot: I think your chicken is *very* pretty... I really like the stark contrast between her black and white!

 

[cabot]

Thank you ! I just took an updated pic this morning and she is prettier now, especially now that she actually has tail feathers.... She is from My Pet Chicken so this must be a trend with their columbian wyandottes.

They say 90% accuracy in sexing. With my order of nine, all were pullets. I think there is a good chance all of yours are too !

 

[dfdesigns]

I think she's very pretty... she can come live at my house any day!

General gender/behavior question:

I let the three new chickens out to free range today for the first time. All three are the same age, but are different breeds. Feathers (the questionable cockerel) is definitely the low point of the pecking order... would that be normal if he is a roo? Or does gender not play a role yet as they are only 6-7 weeks old?

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

She looks just like my Columbian Wyandotte from MPC, how old is she?

 

[cabot]

she was hatched 4/12/10 so about 7 months old... She does look a lot like yours, how old is she? I don't think mine is laying yet, is yours and if so what age did she start?

My wyandotte has always been lowest on the pecking order, still is but no one bothers her, she just waits until everyone else is done before she will eat her special treats ( BOSS, meal worms)

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

mine is 24 weeks old yesterday, still no eggs!! none of my new chickens are laying and the oldest is 28 weeks old already! but there are plenty of reds combs, so hopefully they will start soon.

ETA: Mine also didn't feather out until she was about 12 weeks old very ugly little chick, but now she is pretty.

 

[MyThreesome]

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As for the speckled sussex being mixed, I raised my first pullets this year, and that is how mine looked until their adult feathers came in. I was pretty sure they were some kinda partridge mixed with speckled something, and now they are beautiful picture perfect girls. Not sure why they started out looking like that. Since it was my first time I figured they all look like that at the young age. Maybe mine are mixed, but they sure look correct now. Very nice birds by the way.

Hi! Thanks for letting me know about how your Speckled Sussexes developed. I did wonder about a partridge mix in the one shown, and the large white feathers seemed odd. I know that the speckles fully develop over time. Now I know that the pullets can be mixed-up looking when young!

 

[Illia]

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I'm fairly new to chickens, can you explain? thx.

A lot of hatchery birds end up growing really slow like that. It's nothing on your part most of the time, but a simple nutrition deficiency from the egg.

 

[dfdesigns]

Here's some new pictures of Feathers today... he/she should be around 8 or 9 weeks now.

Just wondering if there's any further clues to the pullet/cockerel debate. Thanks!

 

[Mervin]

I can't say I know anything at all about that breed, but the slow feathering and the erect carriage scream roo to me. Especially with the wattles coming in like they are. I had a Welsummer roo that grew out just like that in the spring.