What breed?

[AbaHens]

Can anyone tell me what breed the brown chicken is? I know the white one is a Leghorn.. the brown one is much smaller. They are both same age.

Also, Any idea why the two chickens on the back do not have the red comb and wattles and the front chicken does? They are the same age.

 

[sylviethecochin]

That white pullet's a meat bird, probably some form of Cornish Cross, not a leghorn. I'd say that the back two are pullets and the front one's a cockerel (Also Cornish Cross).

I think your red pullet's a production red, which is an egg-laying breed that produces brown eggs. But I'd want a better picture, preferably including tail and legs.

Sorry if you wanted laying birds.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

Yeah that's not a leghorn. I'd have to agree the other is a production red.

 

[chickendreams24]

So sorry you got Cornish cross instead of layers.

 

[AbaHens]

OK here are better photos of each

 

[sylviethecochin]

Okay, there's quite a range in coloring for production reds, but that still looks a little too light in color and heavy in breast to me. Could be a hatchery difference, but could she be a Freedom Ranger pullet?

EDT: How old are they?

 

[AbaHens]

They are around 9 weeks old.
So will these be laying eggs or no?

Okay, there's quite a range in coloring for production reds, but that still looks a little too light in color and heavy in breast to me. Could be a hatchery difference, but could she be a Freedom Ranger pullet?

EDT: How old are they?

 

[rebrascora]

Chick 1 is a meat bird cockerel. He is of an age to butcher and eat.
Chick 2 is a meat bird. I want to let but that comb is quite red. At 9 weeks it is also of an age to butcher and eat.
Chick 3 Is a pullet and I'm going to go with a production red since she is smaller than the other two meat birds, so she should lay you some eggs in 10-15 weeks maybe a little earlier.

If you are attached to the meat birds (chicks 1&2) then you need to put them on a diet and exercise program because otherwise they will lose mobility due to leg and heart problems. They are bred to put on muscle very rapidly so that they can be harvested at 6-10 weeks. After that time the meat becomes tougher and the birds start to decline in health. Some people have managed to keep the odd one alive to lay eggs and have a slightly longer life span but they rarely make it beyond a year old. Obviously a cockerel is not going to pop any out breakfast ingredients, so No.1 sadly has no material benefit in trying to extend his life. They have obviously had a much happier existence than the vast majority of meat birds, but it might be kinder to butcher them now before health issues set in and at least that meat will not go to waste.

 

[AbaHens]

How sure are you that the first two birds are meat birds? I wouldn't want to give them away and then turns out they were layers :/ As far as butchering them.. I don't know how to and I wouldn't want to either.

Is the brown one a female? I'm not allowed to keep males because of how "noisy" they are.

Thank you!

Chick 1 is a meat bird cockerel. He is of an age to butcher and eat.
Chick 2 is a meat bird. I want to let but that comb is quite red. At 9 weeks it is also of an age to butcher and eat.
Chick 3 Is a pullet and I'm going to go with a production red since she is smaller than the other two meat birds, so she should lay you some eggs in 10-15 weeks maybe a little earlier.

If you are attached to the meat birds (chicks 1&2) then you need to put them on a diet and exercise program because otherwise they will lose mobility due to leg and heart problems. They are bred to put on muscle very rapidly so that they can be harvested at 6-10 weeks. After that time the meat becomes tougher and the birds start to decline in health. Some people have managed to keep the odd one alive to lay eggs and have a slightly longer life span but they rarely make it beyond a year old. Obviously a cockerel is not going to pop any out breakfast ingredients, so No.1 sadly has no material benefit in trying to extend his life. They have obviously had a much happier existence than the vast majority of meat birds, but it might be kinder to butcher them now before health issues set in and at least that meat will not go to waste.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm no expert with meat birds but they certainly look like them to me. You could weigh them to confirm. A layer would probably be between 1 and 2lbs at 9 weeks. Meat birds are going to be in the region of 5 or 6lbs probably more, depending on how much food they have had access to.
The first one is definitely a cockerel so if you can't keep them because of the crowing, he needs to go anyway. Where did you get them from? That might help in identifying their breed too.
I'm also curious to know what the other white bird is in the background of the second photo with the red comb and the very large crop?