Pretty sure it's a Silver Spangled Hamburg Roo...

[DeesChicks]

He (she) is 9 weeks old, and this was the best picture I could get of him (her) as he (she) is really fast and most pictures are blurry. He (she) does have the spotted chest. Came from Murray McMurray hatchery as the "mystery chick".

2nd question - if he is a roo, wondering how this will affect the current flock that he would be going into. Our established flock consists of 20 Barred Rocks with an Easter Egg Roo (last "mystery chick") and is currently in with 9 other Easter Egg pullets who we were going to introduce to the current flock later and all the meat birds who will be processed by then. He is feisty right now up against the Red Ranger Broiler birds who are more than double his size, so he could probably hold his own against the current king of the yard - the EE Roo, or at least outrun him. HAVING roosters in our area is not a problem - just wondering if because of his size he wouldn't stand a chance being introduced to the established roo. Our original plan was NOT to keep the "mystery chick" if it was a roo, so we wouldn't have issues.

3rd question - Then there's the issue of what would we get if we hatched out eggs? Would we end up with a bird that is too small to eat? (Like it seems he would be)

 

[DeesChicks]

Here's another picture if that helps. He (she) is next to a Red Ranger Broiler of the same age.

 

[my sunwolf]

At 9 weeks with that comb, you have a rooster.

 

[DeesChicks]

Darn! That's what I was afraid of!

 

[anderson8505]

Some roos get along fine, some roos will fight for hours and hours. I'd start with them in areas they can see each other for a few days, then release them together and watch what happens. I have mixed roosters together with mostly success. Only one pair would not stop fighting. Good luck! Roosters are beautiful and you're lucky (like me) to live somewhere that you can have them.

 

[DeesChicks]

My babies are all "next door" to the existing flock. There's a screen door (made of hardware cloth) between the two. So they have seen each other for a long time. My plan is to introduce everyone outside - hoping that would be neutral enough territory. Good to hear there's hope, cause I think he's really cute! My existing roo is a real "chicken"

so they may be OK.

 

[anderson8505]

Yup. You just never know. I have a white faced black spanish bantam that takes on my big Java !

 

[my sunwolf]

I find that if you introduce young roos to older roos slowly--from 5 weeks behind wire and then in person at about 8 weeks--that they tend to get along fine until the younger one hits maturity. Then he may challenge the older roos dominance, or they may coexist peacefully, it depends on the boys. Good luck!

 

[DeesChicks]

He's in right now with a bunch of Red Ranger Broiler (that's what this meat bird mix from McMurray is called) birds that are double his size and he's constantly chest bumping them, so he's a bit like a loud chihuahua going up against a great dane that way. Just hoping that he works it out with Easter (current King) cause we're for SURE keeping him!

 

[DeesChicks]

Sounds like I should introduce them, then, right away. Will try to do that slowly over the next couple of days and see how it goes. THanks!