New Chicks - Just over 1 Week Old .... Any Ideas?

[CheekyChooks]

OK, so here are our new chicks

The reciept said we have 1 Black Silkie, 1 Buff Orp, 1 White Crested Black Polish and 1 Shamo. Does that look right from the pics?

I don't suppose there is anyway to tell the sex of this lott yet is there (tell tale markings etc)? They are lovely friendly chicks!

 

[Larkin]

Your chipmunky one looks like our EE did and your BO looks right, the rest I'm unfamiliar with. Good luck!

 

[dretd]

The Silkie is the one with the black legs and 5 toes, the white Crested Black Polish is the one with the white pom-pom on its head, the Buff Orpington is ,well, the buff one and that leaves the Shamo as the Chipmunk one. I am unfamiliar with Shamos other than they are really cool looking birds. I know they come in a variety of colors, some of which should be chipmunk-y as a chick. So they probably are all correct. Perhaps a Shamo expert can tell us more and what color choices it may be as an adult.

As for sexing, sorry, can't help you.

 

[CheekyChooks]

Thanks guys. What breed is an EE? I've looked up Shamo on the internet and they look very tall and skinny. All the chicks love jumping in your hands for a nosy and some crumbs. The buff is more shy because weve had to treat her pasty butt and she is in a little pain and less than impressed with our methods of cleaning her up.

We don't know which are Roos but we've named 2 of them anyways. The buff is Molly and the polish is Peggy. I picked the silkie and polish and the hubby picked the orp and suspected shamo.

 

[dretd]

Quote:
An EE is short for Easter Egger The folks with standard/purebred Ameraucanas are touchy about non-standard or Ameraucana crosses being called Ameraucana's, so folks call any chicken that looks like is has Ameraucana heritage an Easter Egger. They often are chipmunk chicks and should have a pea comb, muffs (poofy cheeks), a beard and willow colored legs.

Oh, and

 

[CheekyChooks]

willow coloured legs? I think she has pinky legs ... I'm kinda hoping she is an EE because I've heard they can have different coloured eggs

 

[dretd]

Quote:
An EE can have blue, green or 'pink' eggs which is a nice way of saying tinted. My EE lays jumbo tinted eggs. I see by your spelling of the word colour you are likely from the UK? In GB the variety is called Araucana so I am not sure how common crossbred are. If you are in GB (are you willing to share your location?) there are several varieties other than Araucanas that lay blue eggs. I would personally love to have Cream Legbars but they are too expensive to import and one farm I saw has them for sale for $400 per Pair. Can't afford that either.

Maybe you should look in to one of those. Since you are new to chickens, you will soon become familiar with a phenomenon called chicken math. example: You start with 4 and you have to rehome one because its a rooster. Then you want to replace it, but you figure you need two to replace the one since one might be a roo. Then you see they have blue egg layers available so you have to get one of those too, so the others won't get lonely.... But I digress.

Where did you get them from? Since the other three appear to have been labeled correctly, I would assume that the Shamo is that breed until proven otherwise. You might be wise to research that breed as they are originally fighting birds and you may have problems if it turns out it is a rooster and one other is a roo too. How were they sold, as pullets, cockerels or as straight run (unsexed)?

 

[CheekyChooks]

Yes, I'm in GB (South Yorkshire, England). I am a little worried I'll end up with a few roos and the have to rush to get some more chicks ... and then they will be smaller than the rest and will they all get on? Nightmare ...

I'm kind of hoping the chipmunky one is an EE or some other breed other than a Shamo just because I don't want it to grow up and bully the smaller ones.

When you re-home your roos where do you take them to? These chicks were just in a massive brooder as unsexed chicks of a variety of breeds. Can you go places where they have the chicks already sexed? Maybe I should find somewhere who do sex-links though I really wanted a silkie which is why I wen't to this particular farm.

 

[dretd]

Quote:
That is a very common concern for everyone. Many places have a ban on owning roosters. If they get one by mistake, they usually eat it or sell it to someone who can use it as a rooster or eats it. You should ask around locally to see what options folks have.
Quote:
Perhaps you could start a thread specific to shamo's and ask a question on their behaviour when they are adults like hens vs roos. Maybe the hens are not aggressive and you will luck out.
Quote:
Most towns in the States have feed supply stores who buy their chicks in large quantities from hatcheries for resale. Some breeds are too small or difficult to sex and are sold S/R (straight run). Some breeds are commonly sexed at the hatchery and are sold as pullets. The hatchery either uses breeds that are sex-linked so the boys and girls are colored differently, or some breeds you can look at the length of the wing feathers (boys have short feather stubs while girls have short and long) or by vent sexing. With vent sexing they employ experts that look at the tiny parts in the vent to see which is a boy or girl. It's about 90-95% accurate so you can still get roos by mistake.

In the future you could get replacement chicks that can be sexed so you wont have to worry as much. You are very lucky in England because you have a breed that is sex linked and lays colored eggs--the Cream Legbar (I have wanted these for years but they are too expensive to import). Another breed that can be sexed and that lays really dark eggs is the Welsummer (girls have a distinct V in their heads whereas boys are more faded looking). The last are the Sexlinks. I am sure there are other breeds that are available in England that can be sexed as chicks, you'll have to ask around locally.

Silkies are hard to sex even by experts and I have been told you have to wait until they crow or lay an egg to be sure. They are very sweet and adorable so I can see why you want one! I think Polish are eye candy as well!

 

[Illia]

Who did you get these chicks from? VERY few people have or even sell Shamo chicks.

Your Shamo may indeed be the chipmunk one, your Polish is the white crested black one, and your Silkie is the black one.


If you got these from a hatchery or feedstore or such, that Shamo isn't purebred and probably won't look like most Shamos shown online.


ETA - Ah, I see your location. So then that is indeed a Shamo, and will grow to be a very nice one!