TSC "red pullets" are not red... sex link males or buff orps?

[BlazeJester]

Does anyone recognize what these chicks might be? They were labeled as "red pullets" and as you can see they are not red.

I've just about had it with TSC. My "straight run" of barred rocks is 7 roosters and I'm pretty sure the "red pullets" are also males - their legs are just as thick and they're participating in the raucous antics of the BR boys. I'm hoping someone will tell me that these could possibly be some other sort of pullet that was mislabeled and not a batch of gold sex link male discards. Otherwise I have 11 chicks in the brooder going under the knife to have their boy parts removed and being named "dinner"... and I am very, very not happy about paying for pullets and getting a bunch of male chicks.

Top view, taken just now:


This one almost makes me hopeful that these chicks will end up red someday:


And another for good measure:

 

[stephanie1992]

they look like buff orps or buff rocks. There down isnt even red.... yours have yellow beaks and feet so im saying buff rocks. They will not turn out red

I have a buff orp from another feed store

cant tell gender yet on urs

All my red pullets from TSC were dark RIR females

the barred rocks were girls

and the white rocks were girls

heres my buff orp pullet

i put red food coloring on it to tell what chicks what



This is a Red Pullet from TSC

 

[BlazeJester]

Huh. Their skin is definitely yellow, didn't think of that. Anyone else recognize these kids from maybe a differently labeled bin at TSC?

ETA: if these chicks are actually from Mt Healthy, they are not buff rocks (they don't carry them). Possibilities for these light buff chicks:

Amberlink
Red cross
Buff orps
White rocks
Gold comet
Columbian rock cross

I guess they're playing the mystery breed game! They have a kind of "dirty" look to the feathers that are in so far, with tinges of darker color between the feather vein and the edges of the feathers. Like the color, though, it's very light.

 

[Ivy061]

Red Star pullets sometimes start out yellow and feather in red later or just on the shoulders. Just cross your fingers and hope they are Red Stars!

 

[booker81]

My red sex links from TSC were yellow, but definately ended up being red sex link hens:



They're the two in the front:


(Don't ask how I can cut off the heads of every chicken in the picture, it's a skill).

 

[Pele]

This is a tough one actually. They are definitely not Gold Comet females (they have caramel colored chipmunk stripes). They don't appear to be Buff Orps because they have yellow legs. They're not any white breed like rocks or rock crosses.... I'm left to think that these are possibly Amberlinks.

The good news is that if they are Amberlinks, then the light ones are most likely female. Hope that gives you a ray of hope. Post more pics when they feather out more

 

[BlazeJester]

The thing that makes me nervous is their participation in the raucous antics of the most definitely male pack of BR ("straight run") that I picked up earlier that week. However, I AM glad to see them happy and healthy.

Both sets of chicks (the BRs and the "pullets") have a few fast-feathering and a few slow-feathering, which leads me to believe that Mt Healthy does not select for feathering in their breeding program.

I'm glad to see some other RSL that started yellow and ended up red!!! I also looked into Amberlinks and would be plenty happy with them. I'm not a fan of reds but that's what they had and I wanted to be assured of at least a few pullets with my second attempt at BRs, but I already have a buyer for these girls so long as they turn out to be girls.

I'll keep posted as they feather out - and hopefully sooner than later - it's a very rowdy crowd I'm sharing my bedroom with right now!!!

 

[BlazeJester]

Booker81 - what are the B&W in your picture? Pretty birds!!

 

[missydcpc]

My "red pullets" started yellow too...and are slowly turning red....not dark red though...and they are...ummm...3 weeks old.

 

[mama2my4]

I am thinking they are going to turn. Here are mine 10 days ago:



and 2 days ago...





You can see in 10 days time what a difference there is. Their red is just starting to come in and I am hoping for Red Stars!!