What kind of mix is she?

[SJsChickies]

And when people make Olive Eggers, crossing the same two breeds in one direction or the other can give very different results. For example:
Black Copper Marans rooster x Cream Legbar hen gives no barring on daughters and single barring on sons.
Cream Legbar rooster x Black Copper Marans hen gives single barring on both sons and daughters.

Just re-read this. They have similar faces to my cream legbars so I bet that’s one of the breeds. I don’t know much about barred rocks or Dominques though.

 

[NatJ]

Just re-read this. They have similar faces to my cream legbars so I bet that’s one of the breeds. I don’t know much about barred rocks or Dominques though.

I'm guessing these are Legbar/Marans mix Olive Eggers, or descended from that cross sometime in the past. That is a pretty common mix.

That mix would account for the small crest, the single comb, the barring, and the lack of muff/beard.

Ameraucana-mix Olive Eggers are also pretty common, but they usually have pea combs and no crest, plus they often have muff/beard (puffy cheeks).

So I went back and got another of the same and notice a difference in the comb and the barring. This will probably help cause they definitely look different. When I asked the guy at the store if they were 2 months he said yes but he thinks maybe a little older. Also, the beak on the first one…it’s so curved! None of my other breeds have that. Is it supposed to be that way you think? Or did it grow too much? And do you have any thoughts on what breeds they might be a mix of?

The darker one with the smaller comb should be female.
But I would still expect more difference in combs between a male and a female, so the lighter one with bigger comb still has me puzzled. Sorry, I know that's not very helpful!

These things usually do become clear in time. (For example, when he grows long slender saddle feathers that hang down on each side near the tail and when he starts to crow. Or when she starts to lay eggs.)

DNA sexing is available, if it's very important to have an answer soon:
https://iqbirdtesting.com/
(That is especially popular for Silkies, because they are notoriously hard to sex!)

Regarding the beak, it might be a little long. A chicken's beak is a bit like a dog's toenail: it constantly grows from the base and gets worn away at the tip. If the chicken has opportunities to wear down the beak, I would expect it to fix itself with time. Foraging and pecking at things can wear down the beak, and it also wears down a little when the chicken wipes it on something. I am guessing the chicken just did not have enough opportunities to wear down the beak where it was living before.

Or if you're worried, you could take a file or sandpaper and wear it down a little bit yourself. Threads about crossbeak chickens will typically have advice about shortening overgrown beaks. (What you have is not a crossbeak and is not nearly as long as crossbeaks often get, but the basic ideas will still be the same.)

 

[SJsChickies]

These things usually do become clear in time. (For example, when he grows long slender saddle feathers that hang down on each side near the tail and when he starts to crow. Or when she starts to lay eggs.)

I will just keep watching closely! I wouldn’t mind a rooster but I know my neighbors would lol hopefully they both are female. They’re so pretty and I don’t have any others that look like them!

Regarding the beak, it might be a little long. A chicken's beak is a bit like a dog's toenail: it constantly grows from the base and gets worn away at the tip. If the chicken has opportunities to wear down the beak, I would expect it to fix itself with time. Foraging and pecking at things can wear down the beak, and it also wears down a little when the chicken wipes it on something. I am guessing the chicken just did not have enough opportunities to wear down the beak where it was living before.

That makes complete sense. I’ve purchased from this feed store before but they were less than a month old when I got them. Being over 2 months old with no rocks/bricks or free ranging, I guess their beaks just kept growing! I’ll keep an eye on it. If it doesn’t start to wear down I may help it out. Thank you for the tips!!

 

[SJsChickies]

Little update and the stripe chicks. The original one got taken by what we think was a bobcat a couple weeks ago The other darker one is starting to mature! I’m thinking she’s between 17 and 20 weeks. Eggs maybe in a month Really hoping for olive green These pics are 4 weeks apart