What do we have?? The Older Birds

[Enchanted1s]

I would like to know what kind of chickens we have. I have no idea how old Roo is. Chicky, I believe was a tiny chick on Easter of this year. She lays one very light brown egg for us every day. I have had a very hard time getting a good picture of her.

 

[sue25]

She is a Black Cochin. Very pretty.

 

[LoriL]

She can't be a cochin-her legs aren't feathered and not right body shape. Not that I know what she is, tho! Probably a mixed breed.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Chicky is not a black Cochin...her legs are not fully feathered, nor does she have the shape of a Cochin.

I'm thinking they both look to be mixed birds.

Your rooster looks game type, possibly Old English, along the ginger red coloring.

Chicky is a bit more of an unknown. She has more of a layer type build. She appears to be a bantam, but not game type.

LofMc

 

[Enchanted1s]

Guess tomorrow I will be reading up on what it means that I have 'Game' birds. It is already quite clear that Roo likes to play games! but, I am pretty sure that is not what you mean. It was said on my other post that our newcomers are also some sort of Game bird.

 

[Arya28]

Do you know what kind of comb the roo has? Looks a lot like one of my male Easter Eggers!

 

[Arya28]

Roo could also be brown leghorn possibly. Very beautiful!

 

[Enchanted1s]

Do you know what kind of comb the roo has? Looks a lot like one of my male Easter Eggers!

No, I can't tell. Most of the time, when he lets me get close enough to look - it looks like it is laying down or something? These are my first ever chickens. I really want to be able to pick them up and inspect them more closely - but they don't seem to like the idea LOL.

 

[Arya28]

Once you know what to look for, you should be able to tell without picking them up

Here is a diagram of the different and most common types of combs..

Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas have a pea comb, brown leghorns can have a single or rose comb.

Other common breed/comb associations include rose combs for Wyandottes, walnut combs for silkies, single combs for buff orpingtons, australorps, cream legbars, Marans and *most* hatchery-bred production breeds including sexlinks, ISA browns, and rainbows.

Note that these standards don’t always apply, depending on where and how the chicken was bred. Most good breeders need to keep the breed “qualifications” up to standard; however, if they are from a hatchery their genes might not be as “pure” and so they might not match up. For example, I have a silver laced Wyandotte and two silkies with a single comb. These wouldn’t be up to standards to the breed for showing, but I’m not showing them, they are my pets, so I don’t care at all what type of comb they have as long as they’re healthy.

This is a diagram that will help you through your whole chicken career you will be able to identify breeds easier, and even sex chickens better, with knowing this!

 

[Enchanted1s]

I was able to get closer to them today while installing their gravity water system. Chicky looks like a Single comb. Roo - I think more like a Pea Comb.