# Trying to figure out what kind of chickens they've turned into..



## sarhound (Mar 11, 2008)

I bought some pullets at Atwoods about 8 weeks ago, supposedly from a bin of chicks that were supposed to be RIRs or red leghorns. They obviously aren't either one of those breeds. I was hoping someone could help me figure out what they were...










These 2 little ones are missing their tailfeathers, thanks to the other 5 beating up on them. Hopefully, will grow back since they're now outside in the yard and in the new coop...the face in the foreground is Ethel, one of the turkeys. She likes to be in the middle of everything.










Two of these chicks turned in to golden headed, beautiful birds. They also boss everyone else around in the yard.










Have 3 of these with the varigated golden bodies, brown heads, and what looks like muttonchop whiskers for feathers around their chins.

I was looking for brown egg layers; last time I ever expect someone at a farm and ranch store to actually know what kind of birds they've got. I'll drive in to Ft. Worth and pick up the next chicks personally from one of the hatcheries.

These are my first non-Pilgrim's Pride refugee chickens. We usually find chickens on the side of the road (literally) that fall off the Pilgrim's Pride truck on their way to the great styrofoam tray in the sky. My first one died of heart failure, but Olivia has turned into a decent egg layer. She's huge-- don't know how long she'll live, but she stays here until she goes belly-up. It's the least I can do for a chicken that escaped a chain gang...


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## Guest (May 5, 2011)

_Have 3 of these with the varigated golden bodies, brown heads, *and what looks like muttonchop whiskers for feathers around their chins*_

Given the ear tufts and the green legs I'd say you likely you have Easter Eggers which means they'll lay a green or blue egg though once in a while you'll get one that missed the blue egg gene so lays a plain brown egg.

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKAraucanas.html

Feather color and pattern can be anything, but the ear tufts and green legs are usually indicative.


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## chickenmommy (Aug 24, 2004)

Yup. What A.T. said. I have six of those beautiful golden headed birds. Was told they were easter eggers. We'll see what the eggs are sometime around August.


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## BonnieDale Farm (Apr 30, 2011)

Those are some nice EE's you have there,..I have two that look just like them. The other one in the first picture,...the black and white one,..it looks like an Ancona or an Exchequer leghorn.


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## Cara (May 9, 2002)

The one in the first pic that isn't an EE looks just like my Speckled Sussex.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

My EE's look very similar to that. It's a beautiful bird you've got there. That speckled one is unknown to me. Never seen one like it. Beautiful though.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

the speckled one with white legs and brown and white feathers is a Speckled sussex, the others are all EE's,


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## sarhound (Mar 11, 2008)

I've got a second speckled hen who is a lot darker than Speckles-- she's got a smaller pattern of white feathers on her, but she has the same pale legs. She's a lot flightier than Speckles, who will come up to me and jump on my lap to take a nap. Glad to know what they are-- almost every chicken around these parts is a Pilgrim's Pride broiler, so I've not been exposed to other chicken breeds.

Thought you'd might get a kick out of Speckles' idea of dining-- she was munching away at the feeder, then dropped to the ground, kicked out her legs, spread her wings, and kept right on eating. I thought she was fixin' to keel over, but she jumped right back up and went on about her business....










Next year, we'll try some partridge Wyandottes and buff Orps; still would like to find some RIRs, too. Definitely going to get a couple more turkeys, just because they're so darn much fun. They're not as stupid as people would have you believe...they're actually pretty sharp little cookies.

Here's a shot of most of the gang. Olivia and the turks are lurking around behind me, and Speckles was sitting on my shoe when I took this shot...










What's fun is when they do their "commando raid" routine. They all line up one behind the other, then the first one yelps and makes a mad dash for the coop. #2 waits a few beats, then dashes behind, then #3, and so on. It's like something out of _Chicken Run_.

And just for fun, a shot of my new mare, Cayenne, and the little surprise she dropped on me 2 weeks ago, baby Habanero. He's 2 hours old in this shot, and he's trying to figure out what that wet stuff is that's in the bucket...


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## Shygal (May 26, 2003)

sarhound said:


> Thought you'd might get a kick out of Speckles' idea of dining-- she was munching away at the feeder, then dropped to the ground, kicked out her legs, spread her wings, and kept right on eating. I thought she was fixin' to keel over, but she jumped right back up and went on about her business....


That one there is not a Speckled Sussex , definitely


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## Guest (May 7, 2011)

sarhound said:


>


I thought the one on the right was an Ancona until I saw the brown markings. I don't know what it is, but it has the mottling gene. When she molts into her adult plumage, she'll be gorgeous!


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## Shygal (May 26, 2003)

LoL I didnt notice the big giant face in that picture before until now


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

Speckles is a Speckled Sussex. Probably like the Murray McMurray SSs it's based on the wild type. That makes them look like that and it's just the same as mine and I've got close to 20 of them. When it feathers out it will most likely have fewer of the big white patches and be more "regular" speckled.

Jennifer


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