Need help identifying 3 pullets

[carlac214]

We got the “Surprise Special Pullet” mix from Ideal and are having a bit of trouble distinguishing the breeds of a few of the birds. They are now 10 weeks old and the uncertainty is killing me! I emailed Ideal about 2 weeks ago w/ pics but they said they couldn’t tell! So I am turning to this group.

I think the first one is probably easy but I just want to know for sure. I think she is a New Hampshire Red b/c of the black on her tail, and her neck-feather color pattern. (Set 1)
264
265

The next two completely confuse me. Up until two weeks ago they looked EXACTLY THE SAME (like little chipmunks)! I thought they were both Danish Brown Leghorns (which I did order two of along with 25 surprise specials), with a second guess of Welsummer. However I would say they both have white earlobes, which would make Welsummer not an option. But two weeks ago one of them started getting almost black chest feathers in place of the reddish. So now I’m stumped. And it’s the one with the black chest feathers that now has the largest comb of the two, like a brown leghorn. I can’t find any pictures of any brown leghorns or welsummers that look like my black-chested girl (while retaining a yellow-ish leghorn head). Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Here's the "black leghorn" one (Set 2)
248
244
249

Here's the "brown leghorn" one (Set 3)
261
260
255

Carrie

 

[StarLover21]

I think the red one is a RIR...they often have black one them. And as for the second two, I think they're both Black Sex Link pullets.

 

[carlac214]

Interesting. For some reason I never realized Rhode Island Reds have somewhat black tails. Perhaps that's what she is - we don't have one so I'd be completely OK with that! As for the others, we actually have 9 black sex links that we've raised from day olds, and these don't look anything like them. Plus they both have white earlobes, and black sex links have dark ones (i.e. brown eggs). Thanks for your input!

 

[Lothiriel]

The first I'd say RIR as well. The other two... Golly... That's a tough one... Ideal sells Recaps... They have similar coloring to yours... maybe they are Leghorn/Redcaps mixes?? I really don't know for sure...

 

[maybejoey]

#1 = RIR or New hampshire red (pullet)
# 2 & 3 = black sex links ( both pullets)

Will post picture later of my grown black sexlink that looked just like the two at the bottom.

 

[maybejoey]

Heres the picture of what I think your last two will look like.

 

[carlac214]

But what about the white earlobes the two are sporting? Sex links have brown ones! That's why I feel they just can't be sex links. Plus as babies they looked like chipmunks (dark brown stripe down center of tan back), not black with white butts like black-sex links. It's interesting though b/c your black sex link looks nothing like our 9 black sex links (which do all look fairly different). They are a wonderful breed, though. Love em'!

 

[StarLover21]

Intresting that they have white earlobes...maybe American Game? I'll try posting a picture. I think they can have red or white earlobes.

 

[mama24]

I think they are black sex-links made with a leghorn somewhere in their parentage. You can make sex-links out of lots and lots of breeds/combinations. Leghorns do come in black, so maybe a black leghorn crossed with something red to make red sex-links. That's my guess. I don't know a whole lot about chicken genetics, though. Someone else could probably figure it out for sure, but that is what I think, probably even what was most likely to make that cross/color. Because they definitely look like leghorn mixes, and they definitely look like black sexlinks.