Possibly misinformed by the breeder.

[Azhtann]

I was given a 55 flowery hen chick as an extra, and told that it was a female. For sure, because of the auto sexing of the breed. Since it did not truly matter to me, and it was unexpected to have been given this chick, I did not do too much looking into if she was right or wrong. I have a time for the little one to grow. Here's a picture of the chick when I first got it home.

The chick is older now, and changing quite rapidly. I noticed the comb seemed to be a lot bigger than the other chicks (none of whom are 55 flowery) and redder. "She" is about 4-5 weeks in this next picture.

This got me thinking that perhaps I didn't have a little girl after all. So I looked up the breeds pictures as a baby. I hadn't looked up pictures before, just the general how to care for the bird as it grew. Here's what I found.

I got the chick at about 2 weeks old, as per the breeder. Does anyone else think that I may have a boy instead of a girl?

 

[SilverBirds]

100% male.

 

[RossAcres]

Yeah, that's a male.

 

[Azhtann]

I was rather suspecting that was the case.

 

[The Moonshiner]

It's a male and maybe a 55 cross but not a pure 55

 

[Azhtann]

It's a male and maybe a 55 cross but not a pure 55

I am not doubting you, as I know basically nothing about the breed except what I looked up in care, but what makes you say he is not pure? I'm asking for my own knowledge. I'm not going to be going back to the breeder and confronting her about it. The chick was a freebie, after all. It does make me wonder about the other chicks I got as well.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I am not doubting you, as I know basically nothing about the breed except what I looked up in care, but what makes you say he is not pure? I'm asking for my own knowledge. I'm not going to be going back to the breeder and confronting her about it. The chick was a freebie, after all. It does make me wonder about the other chicks I got as well.

I've had them before and it wasn't striking me as what a 55 chick looks like exactly in the younger pic.
In the more recent pic that's a ton of white. Males are mottled and double barred so ya they get awful white looking when mature but seems excessive for a juvenile.
I could excuse all that and chaulk it up to someone not breeding for the best pattern. They are autosexing so most breeders working with that put a bit into selecting for pattern.
All that aside I couldn't get past the shanks. They appear white skinned instead of yellow as 55s should have.
White is dominant over yellow so if someone would cross to something like a speckled Sussex trying to improve pattern or something they'd get white shanks

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Sounds like the breeder was looking for an easy way to get rid of their extra males lol

 

[Azhtann]

I've had them before and it wasn't striking me as what a 55 chick looks like exactly in the younger pic.
In the more recent pic that's a ton of white. Males are mottled and double barred so ya they get awful white looking when mature but seems excessive for a juvenile.
I could excuse all that and chaulk it up to someone not breeding for the best pattern. They are autosexing so most breeders working with that put a bit into selecting for pattern.
All that aside I couldn't get past the shanks. They appear white skinned instead of yellow as 55s should have.
White is dominant over yellow so if someone would cross to something like a speckled Sussex trying to improve pattern or something they'd get white shanks

Wow, thank you for such an in-depth explanation. I can't really convey in text that I truly am grateful you took the time to explain that to me. Now I can hopefully learn if I get into the breed in the future!

 

[Azhtann]

Sounds like the breeder was looking for an easy way to get rid of their extra males lol

That was my suspicion too.