Tuesday 29 September 2009

Chick ID - Australorp ??

(Chicks a couple of days old. Foreground - Ixworth, back - Australorp type ?)



(Chick at 8 weeks)

This post is mainly for Colour it Green but also for anyone who may be able to help me ID my little black chick. It's not too important as 'he' is for the pot, I'm just interested.
He hatched from a white egg in a clutch from a local poultry man ... long story, 13
dirty eggs, most of unknown origin, 2 hatched, the other is an Ixworth.
The birds were supposed to be suitable table birds. We know the breeder has Croad Langshan and Australorp, so these two breeds maybe a possibility. At the time when we bought the eggs most of the hens were out of their breeding pens and running free, so a cross is m
ore than likely.


( Chicks 11 weeks old. Left - Australorp ? Right - Ixworth . The white showing on the head and neck of the black chick are new feather shafts )

(sorry about the quality of the photos, the chicks are somewhat camera
shy and most of the photos I have are of the tail of a disappearing chick ! Click on photos to enlarge)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

yes - looks similar. ours had white tips to the wings, but these have gone now.

newly hatched the chicks had light grey fronts. They are a lot larger than the other breeds, and were much slower to feather up

Anonymous said...

I've added a picture of ours now
http://colouritgreen.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/14-in-the-cockerel-run/

Sandra said...

Thanks for the photo, they do look very alike, right down to the white tips,similar colouring as chicks as well. What was the egg colour of yours?

Mine seems to be going through a bit of a leggy stage but he is quite solid. Hard to judge his growth rate as the Ixworth is so stocky and quick growing.(fast becoming a favourite)

If he is a she, she may become part of the meat breeding flock. See how it turns out.

Anonymous said...

i think the egg was just tinted.. but im not sure I can remember properly. I hope it is a 'astronaut' as i know you want one for your meat program.

Anonymous said...

It's a Pullet I think and not a pure bred as far as I can see.

Dave @Castle farm.

Sandra said...

Hi Dave, She was a pullet with leghorn characteristics.A great bird but her wanderlust got the better of her I'm afraid.

http://bellecrosshens.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/little-black-hen.html