Please help identify

[Allore79]

These are my first batch of chickens I got from a local chicken farmer. I have 14. They were a straight run. They are suppose to be ranging in age from 9-11 weeks on Monday. I know the darker brown,black one with a silvery neck is a rooster. He crowed for me the other day. Could anyone try and help me identify the breeds and sex of these chickens? Thank you so much!

 

[Bridebeliever]

That's a nice colorful flock you have there! Looks like a batch of mixed breeds. Nothing is jumping out at me as a specific breed.

One of those red ones is a cockerel too.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm seeing mostly mixed breeds as well.

The two red ones are likely Production Reds or hatchery RIR's.

The tufted (crested mohawk) bird *might* be a poorly colored Cream Crested Leghorn. It has that look. And it is female.

One of the reds is definitely a male along with the silver neck crower.

The black and white pattern bird, I could never see a head shot of the comb, if that is getting red that may be male as well as the color is blotchy.

I would watch closely on these birds. The top photo shows a bird huddled and fluffed. Unless you just let them out and it was very cold and unfamiliar territory, that can be a sign of illness and usually with moving to new ground at this age is Coccidiosis.

I'd put them on medicated chick feed if you haven't already for at least a couple of weeks until they acclimate to the coccidia in your soil and watch their poo very carefully. If you have continued signs of huddling and fluffing after being on the medicated feed for a few days, especially with half closed eyes, you probably have some Coccidiosis kicking in or stress induced bacterial overgrowth. I then like to put them on a round of Sulmet. I find that works very quickly for Coccidiosis and a number of other gram-negative things that can kick in with a move to new area. Follow directions on bottle, which you can purchase at most feed stores.

LofMc

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with everything In Lady of Mc's post- she has sharp eyes and the knowledge to go with it.

 

[Allore79]

On Monday I just put them in the outside coop. I did have them in my garage. On Monday I came out to let them out of garage and I had a dead chick. ( I think the home I had them in must have been too small. I wasn't sure when i could let them outside). So I googled things and thought cocci according to my research. I gave them a 5 day treatment of corid in their water (ended Friday) as well as medicated feed for a week and put them outside in the coop hoping that would help. New coop has lots of space and I have been cleaning out water and feed buckets with dawn and hot water everyday. I have also been scooping through the pine shavings in the coop every day and scooping out poop every morning when I let them out. The bag of corid said treat for 5 days the retreat in two weeks for 5 days. I started putting apple cider vineager in water once corid dosage was to stop. Poop has went from having some bloody show to looking normal. Do you think I still need to treat them again for cocci? These pictures were taken earlier in the week. Weather has drop from 70s to 45 in a matter of days so I assumed that wAs why they were huddled.
Thank you so very much to take the time to let me know the chicks were sick. You did not have to do that. Very kind of you and you have some amazing eyes! That is impressive.

 

[Allore79]

Light brahma? Hen or cock?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

On Monday I just put them in the outside coop. I did have them in my garage. On Monday I came out to let them out of garage and I had a dead chick. ( I think the home I had them in must have been too small. I wasn't sure when i could let them outside). So I googled things and thought cocci according to my research. I gave them a 5 day treatment of corid in their water (ended Friday) as well as medicated feed for a week and put them outside in the coop hoping that would help. New coop has lots of space and I have been cleaning out water and feed buckets with dawn and hot water everyday. I have also been scooping through the pine shavings in the coop every day and scooping out poop every morning when I let them out. The bag of corid said treat for 5 days the retreat in two weeks for 5 days. I started putting apple cider vineager in water once corid dosage was to stop. Poop has went from having some bloody show to looking normal. Do you think I still need to treat them again for cocci? These pictures were taken earlier in the week. Weather has drop from 70s to 45 in a matter of days so I assumed that wAs why they were huddled.
Thank you so very much to take the time to let me know the chicks were sick. You did not have to do that. Very kind of you and you have some amazing eyes! That is impressive.

You are most welcome. I'm sorry I was right as it means you are struggling with a health issue.

The Coccidia is now in the birds, who must develop an immunity to it slowly. Anything that stresses their immune system will get them behind the overgrowth.
A sudden drop in weather is such a stressor, so is another move from indoors to outdoors (were they under heat lamp in the garage? Did you "harden" them off so they are now at ambient temperature?).

Once you have it in the crowd, it can be hard to get rid of if you don't stay on top of it....every new stress can bring it on again. (Sometimes it is maddening).

If it were my birds, I would do a round of Sulmet since the Corrid hasn't eliminated the overgrowth yet. I save birds faster with the Sulmet as it is fast acting. Then I put them on medicated (Amprolium based) chick feed and leave them on it until about 16 to 18 weeks of age.

If you have Corrid on hand still, and prefer that (it is milder and less harsh on the system than Sulmet), I would personally put them back on it for another round now. I've read that Amprolium powder (Corid) should be used for 10-14 days straight (not 5 days with a break then another 5 days...see link below). Then after that finishes, if they look good, put them on medicated chick feed and leave them on that for a month, maybe two, until they have reached maturity around 16 to 18 weeks.

Coccidia can literally scar up the intestines of a bird preventing it from ever digesting food properly, so you want to eradicate an overgrowth as quickly as possible, and prevent "flash backs" if at all possible. On the other hand, you don't want to eliminate it completely as the bird has to develop an immunity to it keeping it in balance in their system. That just becomes trickier after you've had a dangerous overgrowth with often resultant damage.

Apple Cider Vinegar, raw with the mother, non-metal water dispenser, is excellent and should remain in their water. Adding yogurt as a treat, or probiotics to the water as well, is also excellent to help develop the good flora to keep the coccidia in check.

It sounds like you are doing the right things...just continue to do so. It is a pain, but once you get over this hurdle, you'll have some really nice, healthy birds.

LofMc

http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/diseasefactsheet.html


PS: After the acute phase is over, you can slow down the cleaning and disinfecting. During acute phase, clean and toss litter regularly (as you are doing). Once you have symptoms abated (no more huddling, no more bloody or runny poo), then you can give one more really good cleaning, and clean frequently (never letting poo build up), but you do not have to be so diligent as to clean and disinfect every day as you did with the acute phase....since you'll be placing them on management for a month or two. You have the cold working for you now. Just be sure their water/feeder isn't underneath a warm lamp as spillage can produce coccidia, when spillage is underneath heat lamps the coccidia grow very quickly.

 

[junebuggena]

These are my first batch of chickens I got from a local chicken farmer. I have 14. They were a straight run. They are suppose to be ranging in age from 9-11 weeks on Monday. I know the darker brown,black one with a silvery neck is a rooster. He crowed for me the other day. Could anyone try and help me identify the breeds and sex of these chickens? Thank you so much!

Those all look like mixed breeds. They don't look feathered in enough for 9 weeks old, they look closer to 6 to 8 weeks. Are you feeding them a high protein chick starter or grower feed?
Early signs of a bird being male include bright pink comb before 10 weeks old, patchy coloring, and dark, rusty red on the shoulder/wings.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Light brahma? Hen or cock?

I'm leaning to pullet....not overly familiar with Brahmas....comb is pinker than I would like, and pea combs can be trickier....but still leaning to pullet if 9 weeks of age.

I agree with the other poster that these may be younger...closer to 6 to 8. If that is so, then I'm leaning towards male for this bird.

LofMc

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Those all look like mixed breeds. They don't look feathered in enough for 9 weeks old, they look closer to 6 to 8 weeks. Are you feeding them a high protein chick starter or grower feed?
Early signs of a bird being male include bright pink comb before 10 weeks old, patchy coloring, and dark, rusty red on the shoulder/wings.

I agree.