Mystery Hen Joined our Flock -- What Breed??

[GalloSiSupieras]

Last Summer, the morning after a big neighborhood holiday, we discovered this bantam hen hanging around our coop. She would forage with our flock but was (and still is) very skittish around humans. She wandered into the coop when I was mucking out the run, and lived happily with the LF for a few days, until finally they realized she was there and chased her out.

In the Fall she disappeared after a hard thunderstorm & we thought maybe she was gone for good, but a week later I found her sitting on infertile eggs under the raised coop outside the run. We put fertile Australorp eggs under her and she hatched out two chicks a few weeks later.

Fast forward 6mos and she's back in the run, with two big babies always at her side. What breed is she?? My assumption has always been game fowl, but I hadn't been curious enough to ask, until now.

Here she is, our adopted alley chicken:

Apologies for the grainy photos, and thanks for the help!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I could be very wrong as I'm not an expert with bantams, but she looks like a mix to me. Her wings aren't long enough for game...she has a nice rose comb which is similar to the rosecomb game, but...feathered feet???? And if I looked at just the body, Welsummer coloring and shape. She has a layer's body type not a game type.

I have a Game/EE and a Wyandotte/EE that look similar...game but not...smaller but not fully bantam.

My guess.

Lady of McCamley

 

[McCoysOrps]

Last Summer, the morning after a big neighborhood holiday, we discovered this bantam hen hanging around our coop. She would forage with our flock but was (and still is) very skittish around humans. She wandered into the coop when I was mucking out the run, and lived happily with the LF for a few days, until finally they realized she was there and chased her out.

In the Fall she disappeared after a hard thunderstorm & we thought maybe she was gone for good, but a week later I found her sitting on infertile eggs under the raised coop outside the run. We put fertile Australorp eggs under her and she hatched out two chicks a few weeks later.

Fast forward 6mos and she's back in the run, with two big babies always at her side. What breed is she?? My assumption has always been game fowl, but I hadn't been curious enough to ask, until now.

Here she is, our adopted alley chicken:

Apologies for the grainy photos, and thanks for the help!

She looks like an Americana or an ester egger

 

[K Spot]

She looks like an Americana or an ester egger

Disagree - neither have feathered shanks like this bird looks to have.

She's got Welsummer colouring with grey legs, feathered shanks and a rose comb. I'd say Welsummer mix, but I don't know with what.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Disagree - neither have feathered shanks like this bird looks to have.

She's got Welsummer colouring with grey legs, feathered shanks and a rose comb. I'd say Welsummer mix, but I don't know with what.

Agree.

She's definitely not an Ameraucana...that is a very distinct breed with slate colored legs, pea comb, beard and muffs, and only 8 accepted colors...of which this bird isn't.

While it is possible that she could be an EE as that is a hybrid with an Ameraucana or Araucana on one side and any other breed on the other and therefore *can* look like almost anything, I think it is doubtful as she does not look typical of that.

She does not have a pea comb or even single (most EE's have either of those), nor does she have green legs nor yellow (most typical), nor beard nor muff.

I think it is more likely she is a mix with a feather-footed bantam and possibly a Welsummer...rose comb being dominant over the single, feathered feet coming through from some feathered footed bantam.

My guess.
Lady of McCamley

 

[donrae]

I agree on the really nice mix. I'm not sure what would have a rose comb and feathered legs, esp with that color. Hey, if she goes broody, she'd be my favorite hen right there!

 

[Kev]

Game and silkie mix.

Game- long tail, perhaps her feather color and pattern.

Silkie- feathered legs, rose comb, white in lobes, low body set. Can't tell, does she have extra toe? If so I would say that establishes part of her parentage. She looks to have partridge color, partridge is extremely common in silkies.

 

[CarolinaHen]

She looks like an Americana or an ester egger

That's what I was thinking too.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Disagree - neither have feathered shanks like this bird looks to have.

She's got Welsummer colouring with grey legs, feathered shanks and a rose comb. I'd say Welsummer mix, but I don't know with what.

Easter Eggers can have feathered legs.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Looks like a mixed breed she may have some Leghorn, Welsummer, Easter Egger, or game bird in her.