Tractor Supply sold me the wrong breed.

[Just Darren]

We bought 9 chickens at Tractor Supply 3 different breeds. Three barred rocks the first week one of them did not make it and the next week we bought 3 Australorps and 3 Rhode Island Reds. So we now have 8 chickens they are now in there coop and have there adult feather. But of the three Australorps as they mature they do not look like Australorps at all they started out all black with a white spot on there head but as there adult feathers came in they do not look like Australorps at all. Two of them look like barred rocks but darker and one is black with a reddish color neck and head. When I looked up baby chick pictures to try to identified them they seen to look like Marans and as chicks they look like the picture of the maran chicks on mypetchicke website.

The thing is Marans are more expesive than Australorps and these chickens are the tamest of all of them. My flock is already started so there is no use in returning them beside we have become attached to them any way.

Should I contact Tractor supply I would like to know what they are for sure and if they are a mut breed chicken or pure bred. They are not what we bought or thought we where buying. What should I do. The Rhode Island Reds look just like Road island reds and the Barred Rocks are for sure barred rocks. But I hate having chickens and not knowing what they are. When they lay there eggs and they are chocolate brown I will know but I would like to know what I have now.

 

[Ljc01]

Black with red around the neck and head sound like what my Black Sex Link looks like. She looks just like my Australorp, expect for the red around her neck and head.
She is a great chicken, lays everyday, but they are a crossbreed production bird.

 

[sassysarah]

Could you post some pic of them?

 

[JoshFig]

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if TSC had some mis-marked. Identification is part of the fun of raising chickens.

Do any of the ones you think are Maran's have feathered lets?

 

[Percheron chick]

Sounds like you might have black sex links. Bsl and ba chicks are quite similar. Bsl are black with yellow wing tips chest and abdomen. and ba are black with white wing tips chest and abdomen .

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC...sorry you are unhappy with your chicks.

Mix ups are indeed common at TSC, even at the hatchery it can happen....so may not be TSC's fault.

You won't get 'mutts' from a hatchery but a sexlink is a hybrid cross, they'll lay a ton of eggs and sometimes eggs are quite dark.

How old are they, they won't have their 'adult' plumage until 5-6 months.

Really need pics to help you ID.

 

[Just Darren]

I like them any way they are all nice cheicken with good personallities and they are freindlly to us for the moost part. they are 7 weeks old. Infact the mix up chickens are the most freindly and the one with the reddish nnext will jump into your arms from time to time, his/her name is Mono we were only going to keep just the hen but if Mono turns out to be a rooster we are going to keep him. Why you shouldn't name them till you know if you are going to keep them I guess. I will try and get some pics tommarow.

 

[MigraineMan]

When we bought our first batch, the store employees were in heated-debate about the breed of our chicks as we left the store. We think they're either Black Australorps or Dominiques. Both are breeds TSC carries. Looking at photos, they're very similar. The bin did not have a label on it. So we gots what we gots. All are healthy and doing well, so I'm not going to complain.

 

[ashiedasher21]

I had problems like that with my chicks from TSC. My black chicks were supposed to Tetra browns and black sexlinks. I can't find any information on Tetra browns and 3 of my chicks are actually Barred Rocks. We have a very mixed flock so we consider figuring out the breed fun and very interesting but I completely understand your frustration.

 

[lazy gardener]

When we bought our first batch, the store employees were in heated-debate about the breed of our chicks as we left the store. We think they're either Black Australorps or Dominiques. Both are breeds TSC carries. Looking at photos, they're very similar. The bin did not have a label on it. So we gots what we gots. All are healthy and doing well, so I'm not going to complain.

Super easy to tell: Dominiques have a rose comb, while BA have a straight comb.