Speckled something with blue beak? Please help ID breed and gender. Also care questions (new chicken owner).

[lori_smith99]

Yea, it came from TSC with pasty butt. Looks like the actual poop is fine, so I don't think it's got coccidiosis (feeding it medicated feed for a week or two while it's in isolation, then plan to switch over to 20% protein chick starter without medication). I'm not sure how to get the rest of the poop off, since I'm afraid it's stuck to the umbilical stump and I don't want to pull that off or trim that off with scissors. The vent is totally clear, although you may not be able to tell from the picture. Figured I'd try and soak it again tomorrow (didn't want to traumatize the chicken too long tonight). What would you recommend?

I have lost several chicks from TSC to pasty butt. Saved a few too.

 

[lori_smith99]

So, newbie chicken owner update. Glad this popped up in my feed cause I couldn't find this post for a while and wanted to update it. Turns out I was totally wrong about the frizzle thing. At least, as an adult he doesn't have any frizzled feathers. He went through another juvenile molt after this one, and all the curled feathers went away. He looks like a RIR mix as an adult (so our working hypothesis is again Green Queen), and so far, we are keeping him. Crows occasionally throughout the day and only a few times at night. No human aggression (yet, he's 6-7 months old so still growing), and he mates occasionally throughout the day. He has 12 mature hens at this point and he's not over-mating anyone. The hens aren't scared of him, although they will squawk when he jumps on them (he's at least 10 lbs I think - really heavy bird), and they will occasionally groom him. He leads them to the roost at night. I don't know that he interferes with hen squabbles, but he doesn't seem to create stress in the hens, so I'll call it a win.

Here's pics of Speckle at 4 months old. His comb has since grown to 2.5" tall (not floppy), and his tail has gotten a few inches taller. His coloration is about the same at six months as shown here. Eventually I'll get some grown -up pictures of him...

Gorgeous!!!

 

[FunClucks]

The mystery is solved! Speckle is a Production Red rooster! I had no idea, and the speckled coloration and all the blue/blackish skin as a chick really threw me. But nicalandia saw a picture of him when I was trying to breed him to some prairie bluebells and starlight green eggers, and said he was a Production Red, and sure enough when I looked up pictures, Speckle's a perfect match!

We'll see how his chicks turn out. Several of them have the blue skin, feet, and beaks, and almost all of them have his speckled chick feather coloration. It will be interesting.

 

[FunClucks]

RIP Speckle. 4/8/2023.

He lived as good a life as a rooster could - had 15 girls and was good to them, ate scratch, enjoyed the outdoors. Fathered 20 healthy chicks. We worked with him as much as we could, but just couldn't get over his fear of people. When he was no longer safe for my son to be around, he had to go to freezer camp.

I loved you Speckle, but I love my son more. I'll miss you and remember you when you were nice. You were a good rooster.