One of the oddest chicks I’ve ever hatched...

[Phillisy]

I got 4 dozen barnyard mixed eggs, sold as table eggs, to hatch because there were roosters in with the hens (I believe it was 3 roosters over 36 hens, so I didn’t have high expectations). 35 of the 48 made it to lock down, they started hatching yesterday, and we now have 32 happy, VERY healthy, little peepers in the brooder. However, these chicks are MASSIVE! When I took them out of the incubator I was shocked by how stocky they felt. One in particular was 46g not even 12hrs after hatching, bigger than my pure Jersey Giant chick who is a week old and only 41g (granted he is a bit of an anomaly himself, being that he spent the first 10-14 days under a broody, was accidently taken from under her and spent 2 days in a basement, and another day on our counter, before being put in our incubator only to hatch a week later lol). It also has the longest, fluffiest, down I’ve ever seen on a chick (it’s a good 1/2–3/4” long and putting my 10 day old Silkies to shame!).

I have messaged the woman I purchased the eggs from to see what breeds they could be, but does anyone have any guesses? It is blue, has black & pink on it’s beak/feet, has feathers on it’s legs only (not it’s feet), no extra toes, and the super long down I mentioned; I will try and get pictures of it later today to post. We hatched these eggs for fun, and a little extra money, while we’re waiting for our Blue Partridge Brahmas and Sebastopol to start laying, but I think I may hold it back just to see what it grows into.

I know because it’s a barnyard mix there’s no real way of knowing the breed, but I am curious if there are any particular breeds known to hatch out stocky and extra fluffy?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Pics?

Sounds like perhaps a brahma or cochin mix.

 

[MGG]

Any pics? I'd love to see these babies

 

[Phillisy]

Here is the one I mentioned, that I had weighed...

He has the sweetest eyes, and for some reason I keep calling him old man .
We raise Brahmas (formerly Buff, now Blue Partridge) and none of our chicks so far have been as big, or fluffy, as this one is. We’re getting PB Blue Cochin eggs next week to start incubating (sold off our Wyandotte’s in favour of Cochins and Australorps), so I’m curious to see if the Cochin chicks are like this.

These are a few of the others ...

Most of the blues are noticeably bigger than the others.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Looks like a blue cochin mix.

 

[Phillisy]

Looks like a blue cochin mix.

Then I’m definitely excited to see what our PB Blue Cochins look like when they hatch!

 

[Phillisy]

I heard back from the lady I purchased the eggs from...
Her roosters are Barnvelder, Cuckoo Maran, and Ameracauna. Her hens are Barnevelder, Orpington, a variety of Marans, barnyard mixes of those 3 varieties, and some fancy blue eggs layers. No Cochins And I just realized, he is the only chick with feathered legs!