Megamegan25
In the Brooder
- Apr 27, 2022
- 5
- 2
- 11
I’m curious on what you all think the breed and sex of these chicks may be. They are barnyard mixes that my broody hen hatched from a local farmer. They are currently 8.5 weeks old. I think at least two are cockerels. One is for sure a cockerel. He just started trying to crow. Strangest sound I’ve ever heard an animal make. 
Also, feel free to share photos of your chicks. 
My guess is the father was some kind of barred rock or had barred genes. There were two roosters on the farm but I never found out the breed from the farmer. The mother Hens could have been anything. The chicks hatched from different colored eggs. One white, green, dark chocolate brown, and two medium brown eggs. The dark brown was definitely some kind of Marans, super thick shell I ended up helping that one hatch. All of the chicks hatched out as black with a yellow/white spot in their heads. At first I freaked thinking they were all male sexlinks.
One of the two possible cockerels has slowed in development(#4). It’s comb and waddles haven’t grown more since it was 6 weeks old and seem pale now compared to the one who is crowing. Could this mean it is a pullet? Probably just a beta male. This beta male is growing in puffy cheek feathers like an Easter egger. I’ve numbered the chicks in the first photo 1-5 with my dog photobombing the chicks. My guess: 1 and 4 are cockerels, the rest are hopefully pullets. My favorite is #3. I really like the white detail on her neck feathers.
funny story: my original flock consists of hens who are black, blue, and a barred rock.. So, when hatching these eggs I hoped to get some yellow, buff, white, or orange colored chicks.
just got more black/ barred birds.
Also, feel free to share photos of your chicks. My guess is the father was some kind of barred rock or had barred genes. There were two roosters on the farm but I never found out the breed from the farmer. The mother Hens could have been anything. The chicks hatched from different colored eggs. One white, green, dark chocolate brown, and two medium brown eggs. The dark brown was definitely some kind of Marans, super thick shell I ended up helping that one hatch. All of the chicks hatched out as black with a yellow/white spot in their heads. At first I freaked thinking they were all male sexlinks.
One of the two possible cockerels has slowed in development(#4). It’s comb and waddles haven’t grown more since it was 6 weeks old and seem pale now compared to the one who is crowing. Could this mean it is a pullet? Probably just a beta male. This beta male is growing in puffy cheek feathers like an Easter egger. I’ve numbered the chicks in the first photo 1-5 with my dog photobombing the chicks. My guess: 1 and 4 are cockerels, the rest are hopefully pullets. My favorite is #3. I really like the white detail on her neck feathers.
funny story: my original flock consists of hens who are black, blue, and a barred rock.. So, when hatching these eggs I hoped to get some yellow, buff, white, or orange colored chicks.
just got more black/ barred birds.
