The Poultry Keeper

land of my feathers · Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 18 Location: West Midlands

Hi guys,

Further to my message on the Intros board, please find some photos attached.

The coop is from the Domestic Fowl Trust (passed to us by a very generous friends who are expanding their 'operation') and I've built the extended run onto a raised bed that was going to be a veggie patch. Its a great height for our 18 month old, who loves feeding the chooks.

They've been in place since a couple of weeks before Christmas, and they're happily settled now. We're usually getting at least one egg a day, sometimes two, which from 3 birds in Winter we think is pretty good.

The one with some black feathers is Xena (the warrior chicken) and the other two are Lucy & Mina. Lucy has more lacing on her feathers, but I have to squint to tell the two apart.

Can someone please help me identify the breed?

Thanks,
LOMF.

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2205 Location: North Cornwall

Hi LOMF,

they look like hybrid layers to me, perhaps Goldline or Lohmann.

Bet your little one loves collecting the eggs Very Happy

debcat · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject:

hi,
agree with Jan, they look like lohmanns to me
they are really good layers Very Happy

nigel · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:45 am Post subject:

I'd go with one of the hybrids too; lohmanns, bovans goldlines, meadowsweet ranger, hebden blacks it's difficult to tell them apart.

they are all nice quiet hardy birds and good layers too.

MagicBaz · Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Newcastle

my moneys on bovans goldlines
I've got about 50 of them and they look like them to me

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3413 Location: Monmouthshire

Only a hybrid would be beak -trimmed and I'd go for any of the 'warren type' mentioned. They are not Hebden Black, who look more like a Black Rock, but without the nasty calculating expression.

nigel · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:22 pm Post subject:

Good eyesight Henwife, I hadn't noticed the beak trimming. That rules out the Bovans Goldline and the Meadowsweet Ranger as they are not usually sold beak trimmed, in fact Meadowsweet make a selling point of them not being beak trimmed. As you say Warren or Lohmann.

And what are you saying about Black Rocks Very Happy

land of my feathers · Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 18 Location: West Midlands

Thanks for all of the information guys. Man, its a whole new world the learn about, isn't it?

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3413 Location: Monmouthshire

Sorry all of you Black Rock fans, but I prefer Hebden Blacks. I suspect their breeding is similar to Rocks, but I find them far friendlier!

Lisa and Mike · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 7

Hi LOMF and everyone

I am the kind fool who passed the hens to LOMF, and people we got them from reckoned they are Rhode Island Reds. We named our 3 Maggie (a blue araucana) and Itchy and Scratchy (RIRs - can't tell the difference between them, but they were both a bit scrawny looking. They settled in with our 6 other girls well (one is a bit hen pecked, and now has a purple bum).

Glad you are getting on well with them, and love your set up in the garden.

Lisa and Mike

CP · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:50 am Post subject:

Well they're definately NOT RIR's! Shocked

Rhode Island Reds have very dark brown plumage - those are too pale. They must be one of the hybrids mentioned before I would think. Wink

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3413 Location: Monmouthshire

I'm with CP about that. RIRs have a peculiar 'greasy' sheen to their feathers, which no other bird seems to have. However, my parents kept chicken long before hybrids were commonplace, so the day olds that were sent to us each year were the RIR x LS pullets and referred to by all and sundry as Rhode Islands. It was only when I became interested in chicken on my own behalf that I realised what a RIR should look like

Lisa and Mike · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 7

Hmmm oh well, they lay nice eggs, and lots of them, and they are nice and health, so I can't really grumble or worry.

Lisa