What breed is this colorful chick?

[Arztwolf]

He/She has a single comb and is almost 2 weeks old.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Please tell me NHs don't have the temperament of RIRs! I have never gotten along with that breed.

I have not been raising chickens on my own for long and I have only had one of each breed. 1 NH 1 RIR. Both girls are friendly, but the RIR enjoys being held and loves to be hand fed. Our NH likes to walk with us, but does not want to be touched. They are both from McMurray. There is a NH breeder that lives 15 minutes from us. I have seen his grand children handle some of the adult birds in his flock. I believe that it depends on the genes and the upbringing of any animal that dictates its behavior.

 

[donrae]

How can you tell if a chick is a poor mix

A poor mix? Can you explain?

 

[donrae]

What exactly makes a breed a "heritage" breed?

It's not the breed, it's the source of the bird. Heritage usually means a very dedicated breeder who has been breeding and culling to have a flock that meets the Standard of Perfection for the breed. Temperament is one of the things culled for, as Michael said. Hatchery birds, not so much with the culling, especially for temperament.

 

[PoultryQueen101]

Here is a good examplr. Heritage on the right and Hatchery on the left. Barred Rock Cocks

 

[donrae]

I guess calling hatcheries the Wal-Mart of the chicken world is a pretty accurate evaluation. This comes from someone who both buys hatchery birds and shops at Wal-Mart

. You're not going to get stellar quality from either one, but for the price what you do get isn't bad and is what most of the masses want. In the case of the hatcheries, it's female birds that basically meet the standard for the breed, that are high egg producers. That's what the market demands, so that's what the hatcheries churn out. Not a thing wrong with hatchery birds overall, but they're not show quality and some have issues such as temperament.

 

[PoultryQueen101]

Kim

I guess calling hatcheries the Wal-Mart of the chicken world is a pretty accurate evaluation. This comes from someone who both buys hatchery birds and shops at Wal-Mart . You're not going to get stellar quality from either one, but for the price what you do get isn't bad and is what most of the masses want. In the case of the hatcheries, it's female birds that basically meet the standard for the breed, that are high egg producers. That's what the market demands, so that's what the hatcheries churn out. Not a thing wrong with hatchery birds overall, but they're not show quality and some have issues such as temperament.

Agreed

 

[junebuggena]

They can be. I have one that lays every day for about 7 days straight, then skips a day. I have one that lays maybe once or twice a week. They are both the same age, and from the same source. You never know what you are going to get with Easter Eggers. That's part of what makes them so fun to have.

 

[junebuggena]

Either Barred Rock or black sexlink cockerel. Tractor Supply is notorious for mixing up their chicks and selling straight runs of sexlink chicks but marking them as sexed pullets. You'll have to wait a few more weeks before we can tell you for sure what you have.

 

[KiwiPomegranate]

Im for sure your Black one is a Sex Link, if the feathering's on her chest are red tipped... but the red Im not quite sure.