Purchased Some Hens From Marketplace

[NorthernHomestead]

I was told they were laying barred rock. Two of them looked like barred rock, the other two not so much. They're all hens, but too young to lay eggs. For the cost, I'm not complaining. Any ideas what mix of backyard mix this girl might be? She's definitely friendly.

 

[NorthernHomestead]

Two of the girls are striped like a barred rock. The third is dark, skinny, and with a long neck. Then there's this girl. I call her Cocoa Puff. The four girls haven't gotten used to coming back to the coop at night. It's been a week and I thought they were gone for sure. But all four of them were in the yard yesterday, avoiding our six Buff Orps. I found Cocoa Puff in the rabbit shed this morning and brought her inside so we can make arrangements in the coop to keep her and her sisters separate from our BOs yet still kept in the coop for a few days before the snow comes.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Could be an orpington or orpington mix. She's stunning!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Chocolate Orpington would be my guess

 

[NorthernHomestead]

Could be an orpington or orpington mix. She's stunning!

That's wild. I mentioned to the seller that I had BOs and they didn't say a thing. I get the feeling they just had too many chickens to take care of (young couple with children) and they didn't want to scare off a sale. They all look like they might be a month away from laying eggs and at $10 per being that far along in age I don't feel like it was a bad deal at all in the end. Cute additions to my flock and definitely curious what the chicks will look like in January when we incubate a week's worth of eggs after Christmas. We work in schools and have the time off to continuously collect and bring eggs in to store before they get too cold outside. Raise a batch in the living room like last year while it's still too cold to order through the mail.

 

[Yardmom]

Hopefully you can find where they are roosting and bring them in tonight.

 

[NorthernHomestead]

Hopefully you can find where they are roosting and bring them in tonight.

They're definitely stealthy! My husband has gone out to look in the trees with a headlamp to no avail. And we already lost a few of our Buff Orps to raccoons over the summer when they didn't go to the coop at night. I'd like to get a photo of the scrawny long-necked one for opinions on her background for sure.

 

[NorthernHomestead]

They're roosting at the top of our boxelders right above the coop. The branches that high are too brittle to support me. I'm putting traps out during the day and crossing my fingers. Got pics of the two that are obviously barred rock mixes. The fourth scurried away before I had a chance.

 

[NorthernHomestead]

This is the elusive fourth hen. She's on the deck enjoying some old bread with her sisters and my Buff Orps. Any clue what breed mix she is?

 

[AinaWGSD]

They're roosting at the top of our boxelders right above the coop. The branches that high are too brittle to support me. I'm putting traps out during the day and crossing my fingers. Got pics of the two that are obviously barred rock mixes. The fourth scurried away before I had a chance.

Top one could be a barred rock. Bottom one looks like a speckled sussex