Pullet still? Aracauna/Cochin mix and Aracauna/Marans mix

[lilbeastpdx]

Is the picture just not showing on my phone??

Maybe not? I see it on my computer screen. I'll PM them to you.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

This is not the best pic, but I did notice the tail feathers had kinda shot up in the last few days as well...



And in this pic, it really does look like saddle feathers are developing when you zoom in...they aren't flat and rounded, they are starting to curve (and maybe get longer and thinner).



hopefully that Australorp behind it is still a girl...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Your photos are showing well on the internet...but I am on a pc, not a phone.

As to your questions...I stand by slowly developing male, 5 months of age, which is about the time you'd see slower development starting, and yes, in several photos those back feathers look iridescent and curving.

Many males do not fully mature, growing in full saddles and sickles, until 6 to 8 months of age, often improving after the fist adult molt. Breeders do not commit to breeding forward a bird until they are at least a year of age and have full growth in order to see their true conformation.

As to your breed questions...because of the background indicated from your statements, I think I can infer safely that you have barnyard mixes, pure and simple.

That's the simple and short answer...if you would enjoy additional ponderings, read below, otherwise skip to a cheerful sign off from me.

Have fun with your flock! (And yes, I think it is safe to consider the Australorp a pullet).
LofMc

Additional thoughts:

You have a friend with a large farm of different breeds with 2 roo's running loosely among the bunch? If she is keeping them together and breeding forward as a general flock, then you have mixed genes upon mixed genes....otherwise barnyard mixes...which can be fine birds to have as they are generally hardy, thrifty and productive.

I suspicion she is not keeping breeds separate because from your statements she has called it Amerauana, Araucana and EE interchangeably. Either she doesn't know the actual difference in the breeds, or they are running loose and she is uncertain of the parentage, but has had those breeds in the flock in the past. Usually careful breeders who are breeding for standard keep their flocks very carefully separated and are very careful to use terms in strict meaning as they do not want dissatisfied customers with their breed lines. Causal hobby farmers are interested in utility and not breed lines, picking up breeds and birds that catch their fancy, letting run loose in the flock, which is fine, as long as you know what you are getting.

All to say, it sounds like you've got barnyard mixes with lots of genes mixing and matching...the Punnett Square math really takes off then and you can have all sorts of growth patterns not up to "standard" because they aren't standard, they are mixed, with "throw backs" occurring and "off" sexual maturation patterns.

Side note, since Araucana may also be in the background somewhere, as well as the obvious Ameraucana genes (beard/muff as this is US and only European Araucanas have beards and tails), it is interesting to note that the historical lineage of Araucana includes henny feathered males. I'll link an interesting article below that shows the connection if you are interested (I am enthralled with the genetic possibilities in mixed lines as I am setting up a long term breeding plan for my mixed flock).

The bird is also smaller, that indicates to me it must have either Game or Araucana beyond the BCM and Ameraucana. My BCM's are significant birds, sort of the low riders of my flock. Ameraucanas are solid size birds too, as in not small. EE's vary in size depending upon the mix of parents to get them. Araucanas are small, so are Game....and both have potential for some henny feathering as a throw back...if the bird indeed stays henny feathered rather than slowly filling in with proper male feathers as his hormones mature.

Have fun with your flock!
http://www.araucana.net/forums/topic/pre-columbian-araucana-chickens-new-findings/

 

[Lady of McCamley]

One thing you can do, if you really need females and not males, purchase sex links from the feed store. You will know what you are getting (at least if the feed store is careful in their bins.

It can be so frustrating to keep ending up with males when you want eggs.

The Red Sexlinks (and multitude of names they go by...Gold Comet, Cinnamon Queen, ISA Browns, Red Stars) and Black Sexlinks are wonderful producers and friendly birds. I like to keep at least a third of my flock in them.

At the feed store, RSL's will have reddish/fox colored girls and the boys (who shouldn't be in the bin if they are sold sexed) will be pale yellow.

BSL's the girls are all black while the boys have a white head dot indicating the barring to come.

The Urban Farm Store sells year round chicks, and so does Ludeman's, in our area. Wilco will be getting in their fall shipment of chicks soon, and they almost always have RSL's in the fall.

LofMc

 

[enola]

All very good points in above post.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

Thank you LoMc,

You nailed it. I started with five mixes from a friend in Sherwood, then bought two SLW because they were sexed with "90% accuracy" and then a copper marans (which turns out to be an australorp) and two polish from Burns Feed, and two polish from Wilco. It appears that all four polish are boys. The SLW in the pictures above seems to be 50/50 cockerel/pullet still, and the australorp seems to be a pullet. So--it seems it was 80% roo this year. Unbelievable.

What you mention about red/black sex links makes perfect sense. I guess they are laying machines as well.

As far as your extended notes (love them), yes, she doesn't know the breeds--they are all just one big happy mixed group of chickens and you never know what they will look like when they grow up. It was fun to experiment, but it's too bad that four out of the five I picked are boys.

Thank you so much for the tip. I'm in Portland, so I can head to Burns Feed any time and Wilco is about to carry their fall lineup as well.

Warmly,
Robert