Is the breed accurate?

[aimz127]

I picked up a few hens since I'm planning on splitting my flock by size and my roo needed more ladies.

The lady told me two were Welsummer hens and two were cuckoo maran crosses. I don't particularly care about the breeds, if I have barnyard mixes that's totally fine with me as there's no plan to breed and sell.

So just out of curiosity:

Both red hens are nearly identical, but they lay (monster-sized) cream-colored eggs and one has a floppy comb. Age around 7-8 months

Big Bertha - Cuckoo Maran x Brahma mix. She's got the feathers on the top of her feet. Head is more black, body is brown/silvery. Dark brown eggs. Just over a year old

Blue - Bertha's chick. Cuckoo Maran cross with black recessive cuckoo. ~6 months old and not laying yet.

 

[cherrynberry]

I picked up a few hens since I'm planning on splitting my flock by size and my roo needed more ladies.

The lady told me two were Welsummer hens and two were cuckoo maran crosses. I don't particularly care about the breeds, if I have barnyard mixes that's totally fine with me as there's no plan to breed and sell.

So just out of curiosity:

Both red hens are nearly identical, but they lay (monster-sized) cream-colored eggs and one has a floppy comb. Age around 7-8 months

View attachment 3013471 View attachment 3013474

Big Bertha - Cuckoo Maran x Brahma mix. She's got the feathers on the top of her feet. Head is more black, body is brown/silvery. Dark brown eggs. Just over a year old
View attachment 3013478 View attachment 3013480

Blue - Bertha's chick. Cuckoo Maran cross with black recessive cuckoo. ~6 months old and not laying yet.

View attachment 3013483

Nope, wrong breeds. First two are hatchery-quality NHR females or possibly production hybrids, the next one is not the cross the breeder mentioned (note the single comb), Blue is a mutt. There's also no such thing as "recessive cuckoo". They either have it or they don't. Cuckoo is a dominant gene.

I know you don't mind mutts, but honestly, this seller knows nothing about her birds...

 

[nuthatched]

I think the red ones are some sort of red sexlinks or something (red chickens all look alike to me), the crosses likely are not maran since the body shape isn't right.

 

[sybonbon]

Let us know when you get an egg from Bertha. It would be interesting to know the color. They are both beautiful chickens no matter what they told you.

 

[aimz127]

Nope, wrong breeds. First two are hatchery-quality NHR females or possibly production hybrids, the next one is not the cross the breeder mentioned (note the single comb), Blue is a mutt. There's also no such thing as "recessive cuckoo". They either have it or they don't. Cuckoo is a dominant gene.

I know you don't mind mutts, but honestly, this seller knows nothing about her birds...

NHR looks to be a perfect fit! I was looking at Red Leghorns, but those didn't match either.

Those were the breeds she was told they were, but I don't think she did any follow-up of her own.

@sybonbon I'm getting three eggs from them right now and they are all different colors, but if I had to guess, the brown would be from Bertha?
Kind of odd the two cream eggs would be from the smaller birds, but with them being the same breed it's the best conclusion I have.

 

[sybonbon]

NHR looks to be a perfect fit! I was looking at Red Leghorns, but those didn't match either.

Those were the breeds she was told they were, but I don't think she did any follow-up of her own.

@sybonbon I'm getting three eggs from them right now and they are all different colors, but if I had to guess, the brown would be from Bertha?
Kind of odd the two cream eggs would be from the smaller birds, but with them being the same breed it's the best conclusion I have.
View attachment 3013800

You mentioned a possible Marans mix so if that's true the darker one could be from that one.

 

[cherrynberry]

NHR looks to be a perfect fit! I was looking at Red Leghorns, but those didn't match either.

Those were the breeds she was told they were, but I don't think she did any follow-up of her own.

@sybonbon I'm getting three eggs from them right now and they are all different colors, but if I had to guess, the brown would be from Bertha?
Kind of odd the two cream eggs would be from the smaller birds, but with them being the same breed it's the best conclusion I have.
View attachment 3013800

I agree with you that Bertha is likely laying those. If you really want to know, try to catch them in action.

You mentioned Blue is Bertha's chick? With a little luck, Blue will lay olive eggs, and be considered an OE. Depends on who the dad actually is.

 

[aimz127]

@cherrynberry An olive egg - That would be so fun! She reminds me a bit of an Ameraucana so blue or olive would be a nice addition.

Once they are out of their quarantine pen it should be easier to tell who's laying what but at the moment they have one large nesting box and no good way for me to be a peeping Tom