What breeds are these girls?

[bellcole]

I got these girls a couple of months ago from a friend who couldn't remember what kinds of chicks she had bought. Now that they are all laying, I thought this group could help me ID them. The first picture is of the eggs they are laying, and the rest are several pictures of the birds, labeled to match their eggs. I think they were all purchased (from a feed store) this year; numbers 1 and 2 are the oldest, and were laying when I got them in June. They are pretty consistent layers, so I do think they were probably hatched in March. (They could also be a year old.)

Numbers 3, 4 and 5 are younger; they just started laying in the past month, so I would put them at 20 - 22 weeks. Some of their photos are from before full maturation, but they still look pretty much the same. I can post more recent photos if that is an issue.

I appreciate any and all help you can give me!

 

[SilverBirds]

1. Buff Orpington
2. Easter Egger
3. and 4. Red Sex Links
5. Sapphire Gem

 

[sourland]

1) Buff Orpington
2) Easter Egger
3 & 4) Red sex links of some variety
5) Perhaps one of the new 'designer' birds

 

[bellcole]

Thanks! I was pretty sure about number 1 and 2, but had no idea about the other three. I'll ask my friend if Sapphire Gem and Red Sex link rings a bell...

 

[NatJ]

Thanks! I was pretty sure about number 1 and 2, but had no idea about the other three. I'll ask my friend if Sapphire Gem and Red Sex link rings a bell...

The Red Sexlinks may have been sold as Golden Comet, or ISA Brown, or Red Star, or quite a few other names. They do generally have a name that includes gold, red, or brown, but that is true of quite a few other chicken breeds as well.

 

[bellcole]

I read a bit about Red Sex Links, and found out they have a short life span - I guess because they were cross bred to maximize egg production. Is this true? Anything I can do to help them live longer/more comfortably?

 

[SilverBirds]

I read a bit about Red Sex Links, and found out they have a short life span - I guess because they were cross bred to maximize egg production. Is this true? Anything I can do to help them live longer/more comfortably?

Red Sex Links are more prone to reproductive issues than other breeds but they don't necessarily have a shorter lifespan. My Golden Comet was my second oldest hen and she lived to be 7 years old. She even laid every so often until a few months before she died. If she hadn't suffered an injury which I believe weakend her immune system, I'm sure she would have lived a few years longer.