Silver/Gray and Black Young Hen

[FrechetteFarms]

Hello Chicken Aficionados!

This is my first post on BYC, but certainly not my last. My girlfriend and I started our farm in December and have been accumulating a great mix of egg layers since then. Most breeds I have been able to easily identify, but I have one that is stumping me. She is about 5 months old but quite small for her age, and has coloration like I have never seen before. She could definitely be cross-bred, but I was just wondering if anyone out there has seen something similar. Thanks so much in advance!!!

Cheers,

Jack

Frechette Farms
Hinckley, MN

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've got to edit this as the more I look at your bird the less it's looking silver penciled. But it doesn't have the salmon color on chest to be silver duckwing so...I don't know. The more I stare at the parts of pattern on your bird the more it looks the inverse of penciled. Like it's a silver Barnevelder maybe. Double laced pattern in silver.

Here's one of my pullets, Plymouth Rock:


Never mind that cockerel that is always running up to me so in every picture. Note the difference in pattern even in these pullet hatch mates. It varies quite a bit and some not in this photo are rather smutty with no pattern on back. The best example of what pullets should look like (that I raised this year) is the pullet direct behind cockerel looking at camera. The one I was trying to get a good photo of before the head cockerel ran up.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I just went out to check on my birds, toss a bit of cracked corn. My smuttiest bird is actually very near yours. So I keep jumping around on this one. It really could be hatchery quality silver penciled...breed depends on comb type.

 

[donrae]

IDK if it's a "proper" term but I'd call her color silver partridge. No specific breed is jumping out....what type of comb does she have?

 

[FrechetteFarms]

Wow, thank you guys so much! I had never heard of a Silver Penciled before, but looking it up it seems to be a perfect fit!

Thank you again, this was a great first experience with BYC!


Jack

 

[trailrider330]

It reminds me of a Silver Iowa Blue chicken, though I think the comb is off. Is she laying yet? Just wondering if her comb might change a little bit yet.

 

[FrechetteFarms]

She is not laying yet; we got a group of 20 hens in March but decided to add to the flock in April. We got a 6 hens of different breeds (2 barred rock, 2 black sex link, and 2 I cannot discern, this one included). What is interesting is that while our original hens have been laying for over a month, these 6 are still tiny! We feed them separately and they are not penned at all so there is no way they are undernourished...just slow growing! We did have two horrible Silver Laced Wyandotte roosters that terrorized the whole flock but they are now gone, so perhaps all birds will be more vibrant.

Thanks again for all of the help, all!

Jack