Olive Egger.... What crossbreed? Boy or girl?

[DragonflyAcres]

Hi, I've read any threads I could find on this, but would like your expert opinions. This Olive Egger chick hatched from a brown egg. It is cream colored with distinct chipmunk striping. I have had Cream and Opal Legbar chicks, and I know that with them, this chick would be pretty easily identified as a female, but with an Olive Egger that hatched from a brown laying hen, it seems more confusing.

Ideas on what gender and also what specific cross this might be?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

No feathered legs that I can tell so I would say a Legbar x Welsummer. I think most hatcheries for their Olive Eggers have two lines. One is Americanas x French Maran and the other is Legbar x Welsummer.

 

[DragonflyAcres]

No feathered legs that I can tell so I would say a Leghorn x Welsummer. I think most hatcheries for their Olive Eggers have two lines. One is Leghorn x French Maran and the other is Leghorn x Welsummer.

Yes, it has clean legs. These are from Meyer Hatchery and they state that they have "several breeding programs" but aren't specific beyond that. (Do you mean Legbar though? I thought Leghorns were white egg layers.)

Any idea if it's male or female?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Yes, it has clean legs. These are from Meyer Hatchery and they state that they have "several breeding programs" but aren't specific beyond that. (Do you mean Legbar though? I thought Leghorns were white egg layers.)

Any idea if it's male or female?

Sorry yes! Legbar sorry it’s early here and I am just getting to my coffee. I went back and fixed it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

The only thing that makes sense to me here is a Legbar X Welsummer cross.
The egg is pretty dark brown which is what you'd want and also what a decent Welsummer's egg could look like.
Of course not being green but being sold as an Olive Egger the other parent would have to be pure for blue egg genes.
That plus the chicks duckwing pattern fits with a Legbar.
Both breeds are duckwing so it fits and keeps things simple.
The chick in my guess is a female. If Meyers were smart they'd cross a Wellsummer rooster over legbar hens so they'd produce sex linked offspring. If that's the case it also fits with being a female since there's no head spot.
That's my thoughts but who knows for certain.

 

[DragonflyAcres]

I do wish it had been a Legbar hen for that reason, but clearly not, so I'm wondering if the male and female chicks would actually look any different from each other with the female being the Welsummer.

 

[Muser]

Hi, I've read any threads I could find on this, but would like your expert opinions. This Olive Egger chick hatched from a brown egg. It is cream colored with distinct chipmunk striping. I have had Cream and Opal Legbar chicks, and I know that with them, this chick would be pretty easily identified as a female, but with an Olive Egger that hatched from a brown laying hen, it seems more confusing.

Ideas on what gender and also what specific cross this might be?

These look identical to my girls when they were chicks. Both were pullets sold as sexlink creme legbars... but, they have no crests! They are my quiffless legbars, both girls though so I'd say there's a great chance they are pullets!

Here's a pic of them at 1 week old:

A few weeks:

Adult chicken:

 

[DragonflyAcres]

Yes I also have a Cream Legbar hen (she does have a crest), and two Opal Legbar hens. This chick looks very much like they did as chicks. I assumed female when I looked at the patterning, but because this is a hybrid, I am not sure if that affects the ability to sex the chicks based on the pattern.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yes I also have a Cream Legbar hen (she does have a crest), and two Opal Legbar hens. This chick looks very much like they did as chicks. I assumed female when I looked at the patterning, but because this is a hybrid, I am not sure if that affects the ability to sex the chicks based on the pattern.

What do you go by as far as pattern to determine gender?
If it's a Welsummer/Legbar then both are duckwing and things like eye stripe, arrowhead on head, outer stripes on back etc would still all be the same.
If you're going by the shade of the pattern or how diluted or not diluted it is then ya that might not work as well. Welsummer have mahogany and Legbars should have cream so crossing may change things.

 

[DragonflyAcres]

What do you go by as far as pattern to determine gender?
If it's a Welsummer/Legbar then both are duckwing and things like eye stripe, arrowhead on head, outer stripes on back etc would still all be the same.
If you're going by the shade of the pattern or how diluted or not diluted it is then ya that might not work as well. Welsummer have mahogany and Legbars should have cream so crossing may change things.

With the Legbars, the girls have a really dark, strong stripe the middle of the head, neck, and back. The boys' pattern is kind of diluted with faded rather than crisp edges, and it's lighter.