TSC hatcheries, ugh

[Snakebiteholloway]

No idea what this chick is. It was advertised as a Pearl Star Leghorn, and I've never tried those though IM a fan of leghorns. But looked them up at home, and the Sussex and Barred Rock parentage of PSLs should never have grey chicks, right? The super-fine down and round body makes me think lavender orp. I also have one mature sapphire gem, and as a chick she was very similar. Anyone have any ideas? 4 of these, varying shades from very light to very dark grey. Clean yellow legs and beak. Black eyes. Super-fine, fluffy downy feathers. Much softer than usual - I've raised over 80 babies so far, so it's notable to me. Thanks!

 

[NatJ]

No idea what this chick is. It was advertised as a Pearl Star Leghorn, and I've never tried those though IM a fan of leghorns. But looked them up at home, and the Sussex and Barred Rock parentage of PSLs should never have grey chicks, right? The super-fine down and round body makes me think lavender orp. I also have one mature sapphire gem, and as a chick she was very similar. Anyone have any ideas? 4 of these, varying shades from very light to very dark grey. Clean yellow legs and beak. Black eyes. Super-fine, fluffy downy feathers. Much softer than usual - I've raised over 80 babies so far, so it's notable to me. Thanks!

I can't find much about Pearl Star Leghorns, but my first question would be: if they actually have Sussex and Barred Rock parentage, why would anyone call them "Leghorns" at all?

I do see a hatchery that says the same thing you found
https://townlinehatchery.com/product/pearl-star-leghorn/
"One of our most popular breeds for large cream-white eggs and variegated feathering. Townline’s Pearl Star Leghorns are imported from the Czech Republic and are a cross between Partridge Rocks and Sussex."

If they are laying "cream-white eggs" and are called "Leghorns," then they cannot really come from just those breeds, so there is something weird going on here.

As regards the chick in your photo, I agree it cannot come from the parents in the picture on that hatchery page.

Your chick probably has white barring (light spot on top of the head when hatched), and I think it is probably blue (based on the color of the down.)

I think you are just going to have to see how it looks as it grows.

Here are two older threads on BYC that talk about "Pearl Star Leghorns":
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pearl-star-leghorns.1349837/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pearl-star.1566342/

The longer one of those threads has some photos of birds (that do not look like your chick), and also has a link to this page:
https://www.dominant-cz.cz/en/programs/white-and-cream/detail/137/dominant-brown-d392
The thread says that "Pearl Star Leghorns" are from the breeding program on that page (which does not exactly match what the hatchery said!)

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I can't find much about Pearl Star Leghorns, but my first question would be: if they actually have Sussex and Barred Rock parentage, why would anyone call them "Leghorns" at all?

I do see a hatchery that says the same thing you found
https://townlinehatchery.com/product/pearl-star-leghorn/
"One of our most popular breeds for large cream-white eggs and variegated feathering. Townline’s Pearl Star Leghorns are imported from the Czech Republic and are a cross between Partridge Rocks and Sussex."

If they are laying "cream-white eggs" and are called "Leghorns," then they cannot really come from just those breeds, so there is something weird going on here.

As regards the chick in your photo, I agree it cannot come from the parents in the picture on that hatchery page.

Your chick probably has white barring (light spot on top of the head when hatched), and I think it is probably blue (based on the color of the down.)

I think you are just going to have to see how it looks as it grows.

Here are two older threads on BYC that talk about "Pearl Star Leghorns":
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pearl-star-leghorns.1349837/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pearl-star.1566342/

The longer one of those threads has some photos of birds (that do not look like your chick), and also has a link to this page:
https://www.dominant-cz.cz/en/programs/white-and-cream/detail/137/dominant-brown-d392
The thread says that "Pearl Star Leghorns" are from the breeding program on that page (which does not exactly match what the hatchery said!)

2x. A chick with Plymouth Rock and Sussex parentage is not a Leghorn. A chick must have full Leghorn parentage in order to be a Leghorn. Likely, labeling a hybrid as a Leghorn has one purpose: to grab customers' attention, as Leghorns are quite popular with their extreme amount of egg production.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

And if you are looking for a more accurate name, Pearl Star would suffice. Definitely not Pearl Star Leghorn, since hybrids cannot be Leghorns, especially when they literally do not use Leghorn in the cross. A lot of egg production hybrids have "Star" at the end of their name, like Red Star and Black Star. This means Pearl Star would be an accurate name, but not Pearl Star Leghorn. That is just mislabeling.

 

[NatJ]

And if you are looking for a more accurate name, Pearl Star would suffice. Definitely not Pearl Star Leghorn, since hybrids cannot be Leghorns, especially when they literally do not use Leghorn in the cross. A lot of egg production hybrids have "Star" at the end of their name, like Red Star and Black Star. This means Pearl Star would be an accurate name, but not Pearl Star Leghorn. That is just mislabeling.

Whether they actually use Leghorn in the cross is a good question-- I could believe that the "Leghorn" in the name is entirely wrong, but I could just as easily believe that they DO have some Leghorn, and the listing of parent breeds is wrong.

If I had to bet on something, it would be: neither parent of the cross belongs to any recognizable pure breed of chicken. That seems to be the case for many of the hybrids being sold at the present time.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Whether they actually use Leghorn in the cross is a good question-- I could believe that the "Leghorn" in the name is entirely wrong, but I could just as easily believe that they DO have some Leghorn, and the listing of parent breeds is wrong.

If I had to bet on something, it would be: neither parent of the cross belongs to any recognizable pure breed of chicken. That seems to be the case for many of the hybrids being sold at the present time.

Mislabeling hybrids has seemed to spike ever since feed stores and hatcheries began labeling Easter Eggers as "Americanas" to trick their customers. It should be illegal because it is trickery, it does not make sense why someone would do that. I agree, there could be Leghorn somewhere in the lineage because the birds online do look like they might have Leghorn genetics in them.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

I can't find much about Pearl Star Leghorns, but my first question would be: if they actually have Sussex and Barred Rock parentage, why would anyone call them "Leghorns" at all?

I do see a hatchery that says the same thing you found
https://townlinehatchery.com/product/pearl-star-leghorn/
"One of our most popular breeds for large cream-white eggs and variegated feathering. Townline’s Pearl Star Leghorns are imported from the Czech Republic and are a cross between Partridge Rocks and Sussex."

If they are laying "cream-white eggs" and are called "Leghorns," then they cannot really come from just those breeds, so there is something weird going on here.

As regards the chick in your photo, I agree it cannot come from the parents in the picture on that hatchery page.

Your chick probably has white barring (light spot on top of the head when hatched), and I think it is probably blue (based on the color of the down.)

I think you are just going to have to see how it looks as it grows.

Here are two older threads on BYC that talk about "Pearl Star Leghorns":
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pearl-star-leghorns.1349837/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pearl-star.1566342/

The longer one of those threads has some photos of birds (that do not look like your chick), and also has a link to this page:
https://www.dominant-cz.cz/en/programs/white-and-cream/detail/137/dominant-brown-d392
The thread says that "Pearl Star Leghorns" are from the breeding program on that page (which does not exactly match what the hatchery said!)

Sometime i think the loaders at the TSC hatchery suppliers just play "pick a chick"and call them whatever comes to mind.
I, too questioned how a Sussex and a barred rock could make a leghorn.??
Well. I'll look at your references - thank you! And i guess I'll wait and see, lol

 

[NatJ]

Sometime i think the loaders at the TSC hatchery suppliers just play "pick a chick"and call them whatever comes to mind.

That sounds as plausible as any other explanation I've heard

I, too questioned how a Sussex and a barred rock could make a leghorn.??
Well. I'll look at your references - thank you!

Of course they may make things more confusing, rather than more clear!

And i guess I'll wait and see, lol

Yes, unfortunately "wait and see" ends up being the answer to many kinds of mystery-chick questions.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

That sounds as plausible as any other explanation I've heard


Of course they may make things more confusing, rather than more clear!


Yes, unfortunately "wait and see" ends up being the answer to many kinds of mystery-chick questions.

I do so love it, though! I am a chicken addict. This round of 30 brooding babies marks 110 beloved birds for me. All are in wonderful health so far. We don't eat chicken, scarcely eat eggs (church loves them) but i take such pleasure and comfort in just watching them mill around, pecking the grass!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I do so love it, though! I am a chicken addict. This round of 30 brooding babies marks 110 beloved birds for me. All are in wonderful health so far. We don't eat chicken, scarcely eat eggs (church loves them) but i take such pleasure and comfort in just watching them mill around, pecking the grass!

My chickens are also not used for anything. I think it is rather wrong to use lives. I keep chickens so I can give them a happy life.