White Chickens Have Me Stumped on Breed & Sex.

[The Moonshiner]

Blue cochin from Sandhill

Black Orpington

 

[tommysgirl]

Yeah...I can see the issue. Did they replace them with what you wanted? Since they are a small family operation I imagine mix ups like yours and mine happen. I hope that eventually you got what you wanted.

 

[black_cat]

Blue cochin from Sandhill
View attachment 2898507
Black Orpington
View attachment 2898508

How they should look, for reference:

(don’t know how good this orp is, but the others I could fine were English)

 

[tommysgirl]

I have had my own Cochins and Orps so yes, I get that those are not what he received. Hopefully he ended up with what he wanted and has enjoyed the birds he did receive regardless.

 

[Painted Calls]

Post in thread 'SandHill Preservation review' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sandhill-preservation-review.1029620/post-18420536

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yeah...I can see the issue. Did they replace them with what you wanted? Since they are a small family operation I imagine mix ups like yours and mine happen. I hope that eventually you got what you wanted.

No. They are trash IMO.
I originally placed three orders at the same time. I did that because I figured it would be easier to fill the three orders rather then one large one. The first thing I noticed was although they listed a ton of breeds most were not available or only available in limited numbers.
I was willing to get everything at separate times. But I had no idea what I was getting into. The final order took over two years. It may have been three. And it was after a bounced refund check on their part.
The final order was in desperation to at least receive something and end my dealings with them. I had to make substitutes so I accepted exchequer and black leghorns. Both which I had previously gotten from them and wasn't impressed.
The "black" leghorns arrived being barred and not leghorns. The exchequer were a mixture of white birds and white with black splotches birds. They kinda resembled poorly bred leghorns. Part of the order were substituted with who knows what breeds.
The cochin and orpington were from the second order and ya they were such poor quality I sold them all. I didn't try to get a refund or exchange at the time because I was still struggling to even get the third order that I had paid for far far in advance.

 

[Jan Croot]

I’m not familiar with Sandhill, but it seems they don’t suffer from having a good reputation. Is it possible you got “mutts” instead of any particular breed?

Sand hill does a lot of trying to save old breeds. Hense, if one orders mixed American, one gets mixed american, probably from trying to cross to inprove vigor in a dying breed. They do keep their pure stock seperate from the experiments, but don't expect pure breed if you order "mix."

 

[Jan Croot]

Hatched the first week in August, these birds came to me from Sand Hill Preservation. Sand Hill only sends straight run and I had asked for "Assorted American" So these guys arrived as the most unique chicks I had seen and were labled as Blue Giants. As chicks they were indeed blue with yellow underbellies. As they grew they turned from blue to white so for a while I thought they were splash but as you can see they remained white with a faint blue/grey lacing on the neck feathers. They also have blue shanks so I thought maybe they were Bresse and I also believed, because of early comb and wattle development that they were cockerels.

At this point, though I have been sexing chicks pretty accurately for the last 8 years, I am throwing up my hands and asking for help. Their neck feathers are not thin and pointy, Their legs are in between; either stocky for a pullet or thin for a cockerel, they developed combs and wattles at around 7 weeks. I had Black Giant cockerels in the same shipment and they are very clearly cockerels and also much larger than these guys who are shaped less like rugby balls and more like volleyballs.

These white birds are taller and bigger overall than the Chantecler, Java and Erminettes I received in the same shipment but overall smaller than the Giants so help please. I don't know what they could be. Thanks so much!!
View attachment 2897516

Thank you. I thought that too but checked it out and Bresse are yellow at hatch and these were blue with yellow bellies. It is a mystery. @ronott1 is that correct?

I'm a bit out of it today, but a lot of stuff from sandhill is almost unrecognizable. I think that it was @The Moonshiner who had a 'cochin' that looked more like a leghorn.


Can't help with breed but the last bird and I think the second bird are male.

If you order "mixed American" you will get "mixed american" rather than assorted purebreeds. Sand hill is not a mass breeder, but their focus is on trying to save rare breeds. Many times that means crossing with other breeds for vigor. Sometime it works sometimes it doesn't. If you order mixed you may have gotten the mixed experiments. IF you want pure breed, order pure breed.