Two new chicks - please identify.

[TreeHugger]

I went to the feedstore today to get feed. Of course I had to go stare at the chicks. I had no trouble passing up the first 8 bins of chicks & then I got to the 99 cent "pan fry special" bins. It looked like a mix of red & black sexlinks & some white colored chicks. The black sexlinks looked to be all roos (little white spots on their heads). There were a few misc chicks mixed in and this gray guy stood out, mainly because he was sitting off by himself. My first thought was they had to be all roos despite the sign that said they were straight run. Then I thought maybe someone put him in the bin by accident. Either way I couldn't resist getting him & then of course I had to pick out a buddy for him (also a pan fry special). I think they are both EEs, they have puffy chicks and their legs don't appear to be pink. ***OK the second one does have light colored legs. What do you think & is there any chance that maybe they could be hens? I've never bought out of the "pan fry" special bins before.

First two pics are the little gray one I couldn't pass up (it has a little red coloring above it's beak).

The next two pics are of his friend I picked out.

 

[latebloomer]

is "real cute" a breed?

 

[TreeHugger]

Only if "real cute" means hen

I did a little research and I know that Estes hatchery supplies the chicks to the Orschlens store where these can from. The "pan fry" special includes a mix of heavy breeds with no choice of breed or sex. With that said if these are EEs what will the coloring most likely be when they are adults?

 

[Diamond Wire Farms]

Most of the EEs around here are very chipmunk stripe-y as chicks, unless they are all white.

I think you have something more interesting there.

 

[TreeHugger]

Thanks, all of the EE chicks I've seen have either been chipmunk-y or white.

Here they are again side by side - chick #2 has a light chipmunk look but chick #1 not at all.

Chick #1 has puffy cheeks, but it has a reddish colored head and a gray body.

They both look to have a pea comb.

 

[akcountrygrrl]

Since EEs can be any color, that is probably what they are. Other than Ameraucanas, I can't think of any large fowl birds that have clean legs and a beard/muffs.

 

[Deanner03]

We've had EEs that look just like that.

 

[TreeHugger]

What color will the little gray guy with the reddish head be when it's an adult?

 

[Butterfly Garden Girl]

I have two EE chicks that are nine days old with very similar coloring. My EE chick last year was chipmunky, but none of the four I have this year are. All have muffs and this week their legs have gotten dark grey. I just love how their faces are so fuzzy

 

[SIMPleChick]

Yay! I LOVE EE's! And yours look SOOOO similar to the 2 I got this year!!! I say EE's and I have no idea what gender they would be! Here are my 2, 3 weeks ago. Boo and BG!