Here are chicks 2 (on the right with the Deathlayer eyes) and 5 (on the left with dark brown eyes). I like the color patterns coming out on both of these. The left has white tipped black feathers on its neck and belly.
This one is chick 1. It has lighter brown eyes and that same white tipped black feathering on its neck that chick 5 has but none on its belly (so far).
1 and 5 looked very alike as chicks except 5 was a lighter mahogany brown and much slower maturing. Chick 1 I think is a pullet. I'm still not convinced about chick 5. It acts a bit rooish and is starting to get more pink in the wattles. Chick 2 I think pullet. It also looks like it might have white earlobes which will be striking with the rest of it's coloring.
This is chick 3, the other one that had the eye thing going on in yesterday's pictures. At hatch its eyes were black like chick 2 but they have lightened a little. I think the mom to this one was a Buff Orpington and believe it's a pullet. It came out of a jumbo buff egg and is definitely a bigger bird.
7 week old update pictures. I think chicks 1, 2, & 3 are pullets and 4, 5, & 6 are cockerels. 4 & 6 were already identified due to the barring genes, 5 is still TBD but I think cockerel. Please let me know what you think.
Chick 1. This one looked like chick 5 except darker and bigger/faster feathering. They both have white tipped feathers on their throats, but 5 has them on its belly too. In hindsight I wonder if the lighter coloring of chick 5 versus this one was a tell. Pullet?
Chick 1 is behind on the left, chick 5 in front.
Chick 2 (Pretty patterning. Smaller size than the rest.) Pullet?
Chick 3 - DL x Buff Orpington? Pullet?
Chick 4 - cockerel DL x Barred Plymouth Rock
Chick 5 - cockerel? This one was the smallest and slow maturing but in the last week or two it has jumped up in size to be one of the bigger chicks. Looks like it will make a pretty roo, but I'll have to find a home for it or cull it.
Chick 6 - DL X GCM
Chick 6 in front left (with some wing color coming in?), chick 5 behind right
7 week old update pictures. I think chicks 1, 2, & 3 are pullets and 4, 5, & 6 are cockerels. 4 & 6 were already identified due to the barring genes, 5 is still TBD but I think cockerel. Please let me know what you think.
Chick 1. This one looked like chick 5 except darker and bigger/faster feathering. They both have white tipped feathers on their throats, but 5 has them on its belly too. In hindsight I wonder if the lighter coloring of chick 5 versus this one was a tell. Pullet? View attachment 3339514
Chick 1 is behind on the left, chick 5 in front. View attachment 3339515
Chick 5 - cockerel? This one was the smallest and slow maturing but in the last week or two it has jumped up in size to be one of the bigger chicks. Looks like it will make a pretty roo, but I'll have to find a home for it or cull it. View attachment 3339545 View attachment 3339546
8 week old update just on Chick #5: 99.9% sure now that #5 is a cockerel. These look like saddle feathers coming in. (Forgive the bad pic, I was trying to hold him and separate feathers for the pic.)
Now to see if I can find this big boy a home!
Note: I gave chick #1 (the one that looked so much like this one) to my friend that has the rooster and hens that are these chicks parents so will have no more updates on that one.
8 week old update just on Chick #5: 99.9% sure now that #5 is a cockerel. These look like saddle feathers coming in. (Forgive the bad pic, I was trying to hold him and separate feathers for the pic.) View attachment 3346634View attachment 3346635
Now to see if I can find this big boy a home!
Note: I gave chick #1 (the one that looked so much like this one) to my friend that has the rooster and hens that are these chicks parents so will have no more updates on that one.
RoostersAreAwesome, I'm happy to share an update, thanks for asking!
As of this week, I believe my guesses are still on track. Chick 1 I have already given to the guy who has the parent chickens, so not sure how that one is turning out but here are 12 week (chick 5) and 13 week (the rest) updates on what I still have.
Chick 2 (pretty sure pullet, and much smaller than the rest). This one did not like being in the bigger pen with the rest so I put her in with two of the cockerels. (She was literally trying to fly up the covered pen squawking at me to get her out.) I have them right beside the big pen trying to get them acclimated to each other.
Chick 3. I still think this is a GDL X BO cross. Big pullet (IMO). She is hard to get a good picture of. Not quite as restless as her dad but still on the move. Both chicks 2 & 3 have super interesting feather patterns.
Chick 4, the GDL X BPR cockerel I'm trying to find a home for. He is pretty gentlemanly so far and has an interesting bit of cream to the white feathers on his wings, plus green sheen to the black bars on his tail and maybe some coming in on his wings. I'm concerned I will have to cull him and the other two cockerels shortly if I don't get any takers to my free roo posts.
Chick 5, the ginormous cockerel. I'm guessing his mother was a Black Australorp (chicks 1 and 5 did have white tipped feathers on their throats (you can still see a hint of it)) or a Jersey Giant (he started out slow maturing but jumped into fast about a month in or so) due to color and size. He has a pretty interesting color palette coming out, but he isn't very photogenic as he is very active. You can see the big breast on him in the one picture though. Pretty good for a three month dual purpose type bird. I bet he is 6 pounds easy. (If anyone wants him for breeding stock let me know, otherwise I will learn how to cull with him very soon.)
Chick 6, the GDL X GCM cockerel. I am very sad I can't keep a rooster with this guy. He is a very beautiful bird. Tall, upright leghorn type stance, big and fast maturing (he is already crowing dang it!), And generally looks like a GCM but more colorful and with a walnut comb and white ear lobes. I was hoping to let him cross with my lovely lavender Hedemora but he is already crowing so I need to either re-home him or cull him pronto. Huge shame, wish I had property in the country I could take him to. He also has a beautiful, musical, crow. It would be lovely if I wasn't so afraid that the neighbors are going to hear it at dawn and complain.
