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[TAJ]

I have a supposed 'auto-sexing female gold legbar, bought as a chick who has turned into a fine cockerel rusty brown with fine golden neck and heckle feathers, with a black tail.

 

Any ideas what breed he is? (apart from being loud and clashing with my cockerels who are very nice silkies)

 

Tracy

Edited January 11, 2013 by Guest

[mimi5]

Could you post a pic? Many experienced eys on here to help!!

[TAJ]

No good at uploading pictures, but he is identical to the middle picture here: http://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/chickens/eggs/cockerel/

 

Tracy

[Daphne]

I'm no expert on these breeds, but could he be a marans or (less likely given there are fewer of them) a red dorking? However, I think the leg colour is wrong for both (has yours got yellow legs?) so maybe not

 

Do you know what other breeds are kept by the breeder? That might help narrow it down.

[sjp]

has it got white ear lobes if so it could be a brown leghorn through back as legbars are based on brown leghorns crossed with barred plymouth rocks or it could be a welsummer which is what iI think the one in the link is

[TAJ]

They came from Adam's farm (countryfile guy) so he has many rare breeds.

 

Tracy

[Charlottechicken]

He looks a bit Marans to me too

 

Several years ago I hatched some Marans eggs, ended up with three cockerels, one of whom was identical to that pic. The female I had was a French copper black Marans. Mind you, I also ended up with a bantam Araucana from the same batch too

[mimi5]

Tracy,

 

I looked in all my chicken books (not much knowledge of colours other than pekins sorry) he looked a bit like a marsh daisy boy, but I really don't think I'm right!! (it is a rare breed though) Maybe contact Adam he's bound to know isn't he??

 

Well he is handsome, will you be able to keep him?

[Redwing]

The bird in your pic link is a welsummer.

 

When wesummer chicks hatch they will be chipmunk striped (boys much less so than girls but still striped)

 

I am guessing a batch of chicks was mixed and this was identified as a gold Legbar girl which should have the striping

 

An easy mistake to make but not good when you sell to the public. Far safer to keep batches if chicks apart if there is the chance of a mix up

[TAJ]

Thanks Redwing - I think that is exactly what has happened! - they keep them all mixed together and rely on staff knowing, but if they get similar looking chicks hatched at he same time it makes it very difficult.

 

He is a lovely looking fella, but my 2 existing silkie cockerels (who are reasonably quiet and do not fight with each other) are not impressed. OH had thought of keeping him with the cream legbar to see what future hatchings will produce egg colour, but he is too noisy and already (at 6 months) having to duck to get through the Eglu run door - a big boy!

 

They are good at taking mistaken boys back - the only problem is the farm park is closed until 9/2/13 - the farm office is only open Mon-Fri, so I will have to contact them in the week.

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

They are having him back, but then I have a choice: option 1 - take a current stock hybird POL (Speckledy, Sussex, or Bluebelle), or option 2 - we take him back now and wait until they are breeding pure breeds again in the spring for a replacement.

 

As I now have 3 POL from my August batch introducing 1 to them at this young age (they are not with the other flock of 16 as yet) would be relatively easy. We have a very old Bluebelle and a pure breed Sussex already, but not a Speckledy, though she would be close to my Maran in looks. The alternative would be to wait, get a breed I would prefer, but then I will have 1 young bird to introduce to a flock of 19 which will be too hard I feel. ...and "Ooops, word censored!"ody suggest option 3 of waiting and getting more than 1 hen - I have too many already!!

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

Mr Welsumer will be going back to Adam's farm tomorrow - but who do you recommend I bring back with me?

 

Tracy

[Redwing]

I personally would bring nothing back

 

I wouldn't add a lone hen at this stage

 

Perhaps get two next time round instead

[TAJ]

Redwing this came too late and I had brought home a POL Speckledy. My theory being I haven't integrated my POLs as yet and given they had lost a cockerel so who was in charge was not sorted it wouldn't be as hard as a normal 1 hen intro.

 

What happened? They were out free-ranging and she spent a lot of time looking in the Cube at the big girls - by the afternoon I let them all out together and she was happy with the big girls, she just fitted in! We have had an egg every day, she took herself up to bed even on the first night upstairs with the big girls and uses the nesting box the lay her eggs.

 

Totally amazed as I would have never bought a single hen and put them in with the 'big girls', but she has just seemed to fit in.

 

Tracy