Which type of Wyandotte are my girls?

So now I'm worried. Just read on here that they don't live long. My kids will be devastated when they go. I thought we were good for about 5 years.
 
Agree you have pretty Dark Cornish hens. they're also known as Indian Jungle Fowl.

Be very careful when you read about them, that you're looking at the Dark Cornish breed, not the Cornish Cross meat bird. Your DC are one of the parent breeds of the CX, but they are worlds apart.

I've had a few DC and been very pleased with them. They're very hardy. Pea combs and nice tight feathers mean they can handle cold temps like champs. They won't lay quite as many eggs as say a sex link, or another high production bred bird, but they'll likely live longer and have less reproductive issues. They're great foragers if you get to free range, and they make wonderful momma hens if you get a chance to hatch chicks in the next year or two. Knowing they have a tenancy to go broody, it would be good to research breaking a broody hen over the winter and probably obtain a broody breaker cage. Letting a hen brood when there aren't going to be any chicks is hard on her body, and keeps them out of production for quite a while.

I think overall you'll be pretty happy with them as backyard birds.
 
Thanks Donrae! Your info is very helpful. I'll research how to break broody hens. I had no idea I needed to do that.
Thanks!
 
You're welcome.

I had a DC hen sneak off and nest in the blackberries last year when I had to be out of town for medical treatment. I'd planned to use her for a broody, but not for her own chicks.Well, she hatched out a dozen surprise chicks, from herself and my splash Ameraucana rooster. Not a cross I'd ever, ever intended, but......I have three of those hens left, and they're wonderful. Kind of a pretty blue color, they lay nice blueish eggs, and each has brooded and raised chicks for me. they're keepers far as I'm concerned
smile.png
 
You're welcome.

I had a DC hen sneak off and nest in the blackberries last year when I had to be out of town for medical treatment. I'd planned to use her for a broody, but not for her own chicks.Well, she hatched out a dozen surprise chicks, from herself and my splash Ameraucana rooster. Not a cross I'd ever, ever intended, but......I have three of those hens left, and they're wonderful. Kind of a pretty blue color, they lay nice blueish eggs, and each has brooded and raised chicks for me. they're keepers far as I'm concerned
smile.png
Now I need Dark Cornish to my list of must have breeds. Sounds like they would be a good addition to my Easter Egger breeding program.
 

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