Light Brahma or Mix

[ssferret]

I have always had Light Brahmas and normally incubate and hatch my own eggs. Since most of my adult hens are just over 3 years old, and there is no way I’m getting rid of them when they stop laying, I decided to start a second flock so I decided to incubate my own eggs and got a few pullets from a hatchery that’s near me so they didn’t have to be shipped.

My own chicks have always been yellow (Y) but the hatchery chicks were the darker/multicolored (D) ones. I read that Light Brahma chicks can look either way so I wasn’t really concerned. In fact as D grew they began to lighten up and look more like Light Brahmas.

I knew I would get some cockerels in the mix but I didn’t expect the “accidental” cockerel from the hatchery but with him in the mix I began to doubt D were actually Light Brahmas but maybe a mix. Cockerel D has a comb that looks different from the others. (The pullets do too but it’s not as obvious.)

I would love some expert opinions on what you think and if he is a mix, what possibly with.

These pics are all cockerels: 1 D and 2 Y's

 

[fluffycrow]

D (the bird in the second photo anyway) is either a really low quality light brahma, or a mix

 

[JedJackson]

They are light Brahmas, just hatchery quality. That long, thin tail is off, but the comb looks alright to me. You're right, coloring of the chicks can vary quite a bit.

 

[fluffycrow]

They are light Brahmas, just hatchery quality. That long, thin tail is off, but the comb looks alright to me. You're right, coloring of the chicks can vary quite a bit.

I'm more concerned about the almost complete lack of feathers on the feet. I mean, hatchery quality I guess

 

[JedJackson]

I'm more concerned about the almost complete lack of feathers on the feet. I mean, hatchery quality I guess

Yep. Hatchery quality. Some hatcheries have better stock than others.

 

[ssferret]

I'm more concerned about the almost complete lack of feathers on the feet. I mean, hatchery quality I guess

I noticed that too about the lack of feathers. My original 12 were hatchery but of much better quality. I did research on this place to see what people have said about this place but they seemed to like it. I would have gone to a breeder but there are none near me.

I started breeding my hens not to sell but to keep flock number up as I lose my older ones. There's no way I'm breeding anyone from this group. They are definitely of very poor quality. I mean one of the pullets has a crooked beak. *See my post Cross Beak .