What are these? Roo or hen and what breed?

[FTHOBBY]

I appreciate all the explanation. I had so many questions after the first response and you all answered all of them all. Before I could even ask lol. How are you sure they are cockerels?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Presence of male saddle feathers, large red combs and wattles and the crowing.

 

[FTHOBBY]

Presence of male saddle feathers, large red combs and wattles and the crowing.

Thank you

 

[TheOddOneOut]

For example, here’s a hatchery quality bird vs a show quality one:

See her even and defined barring?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Presence of male saddle feathers, large red combs and wattles and the crowing.

I agree

 

[Disheygirl]

For example, here’s a hatchery quality bird vs a show quality one:
View attachment 2805005
See her even and defined barring?
View attachment 2805006

Yes, definitely see a difference...sue even looks silkier than the girl in the dirt. I need to find a chicken show now...do they get groomed like dogs...tail ones clipped, combs and beaks slicked, and all that kind of fancy stuff? Are hatchery stock more prone to reproductive or other issues because they are mass produced (so to speak)?

I just joined the chicken world a few months ago and had no idea there was a world of show chickens. I guess I should have assumed, but now I want to see these fancy gals!

 

[Disheygirl]

You can tell a bird is hatchery quality by the feathers, body shape, sometimes they have wrong combs, etc. For example, these birds are SLW, which should have a lot more of the actual silver coloring.
This is what a better quality SLW looks like (not my picture).
View attachment 2804893

Do you see how much more defined the lacing is? The boys in the photos are mostly just black.
One also has a single comb, instead of the rose comb which the breed is supposed to have.

That chicken is beautiful! Definitely see a difference! Do chickens have parentage where he breeder tracks them? Like Rooster A has his grand champion title and is used to breed to hens from around the country (or the state)?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Yes, definitely see a difference...sue even looks silkier than the girl in the dirt. I need to find a chicken show now...do they get groomed like dogs...tail ones clipped, combs and beaks slicked, and all that kind of fancy stuff? Are hatchery stock more prone to reproductive or other issues because they are mass produced (so to speak)?

I just joined the chicken world a few months ago and had no idea there was a world of show chickens. I guess I should have assumed, but now I want to see these fancy gals!

They do. I read an article about it. Legs and beaks oiled and polished, earlobes powdered, and a little bit of petroleum jelly brings out the color in their combs and wattles.
Oh, and they say you should run a silk hanky over their feathers to bring out the shine and clean off any particles of dust sitting on top of the feathers.
Chicken shows are the real deal!

 

[3KillerBs]

Are hatchery stock more prone to reproductive or other issues because they are mass produced (so to speak)?

No, though high-production breeds of the commercial types are prone to reproductive issues. It wouldn't pay for a hatchery to perpetuate unhealthy birds because it would impact both their customers' loyalty and their own breeding flocks.

Breeder birds *may* have issues like reduced fertility IF the breeder hasn't used production as one of the selection criteria -- though it's far from universal and the best breeders do pay attention to that as well as to form and color.