Unknown Breed or X re The Curious Case of NWA

[ErniesFlock]

This is NWA. We bought her as a 3 month old PBR pullet. Thats what he said well I actually said "wow man is that a young Plymouth Barred Rock pullet?" and He said "Wow son look at the brain on this guy, he really knows his stuff" .... yeah :-|

​

A few days later she started laying eggs and she really hasnt grown ever since. She lays a pinkish small to med egg. She got white legs. She has all 10 toes 5 on each. She is fertile as hell. We have gone from PBR to Bantam PBR to IDK to maybe Cuckoo Marans to maybe just Cuckoo. She is a weird weird bird. She is NWA becasue she has No Wattles At all.

We appreciate any help When I saw the picture of the week I thought its time to to give up and ask some pros for guidance on byc.com!

 

[Michael OShay]

She definitely looks like a Cuckoo Marans. If you're correct about the 5 toes on each foot I'm at a loss to explain it other than it's a genetic anomaly, perhaps caused by traces of some five toed breed somewhere in her background.

 

[PoultryQueen101]

Technically, breeds like her should only have 4 toes. There are only 5 or 6 breeds that should have 5 toes. Did you count correctly? Because otherwise she is a mutt. From what we can see, I only see 4 toes.

 

[ErniesFlock]

@PoultryQueen101 I guess I should have inserted a winky lol I absolutely know thats wrong I wonder from what cross she may have come. She is an outstanding layer and makes me Blue Sexlinks that are so healthy she has almost 100% hatch rate. Just didnt know what she was or come from. I needed the confirmation of Cuckoo Thank you!

Anyone else?

 

[Fred's Hens]

For clarity? The proper way to say a Barred Plymouth Rock is precisely in that order. Saying Plymouth Barred Rock and using PBR is not a way to reference a chicken, but an old time beer that fell into unpopularity, although is making something of a comeback.

She's not a Plymouth Rock.

 

[ErniesFlock]

Now that you point it out that way I see that your right. I always try and make it a point to say Plymouth and Rock rather than Barred Rock However I guess that is correct. It hits me the same way when people say pitty or pitbull when the breed is actually American Pitbull Terrier. I am new after all Mr Moderator thanks for the lesson. However I have known for some time she isnt a Plymouth Barred Rock, but since my new found love for breeding and genetics and learning them not to mention the fact I want to know what my chicken is packing. I found it a little condesending asking me if I was sure she had 5 toes lol Yes I am sure she is my chicken. Still mystery how she acquired them. She came from a farm that had many Marans, Araucana, Silkies, White Rocks and Barred Rocks. There wasnt an abundance of 'mutts' if any at all. If I understand correctly that what defines a mutt or Easter Egger Olive Egger etc is in the beholder I am reading about how many crosses it takes to correct a flaw or introduce genetics and so on... isnt it correct to say that most breeds we havetoday sprung from a not so pure mixat least other than its own breed?