I have five chicks that I can't identify. Two white and three black, I got them at the local central tractor store in the mixed bin.They are eight weeks old. They are brown egg layers, they all have four toes, nothing fancy. The two white ones look the same, but the black ones are different, two are all black kind of shiny with a single white wing tip. The other has several white tips on the main feathers and also on the secondary feathers, just out at the wing tips. I tried to look on the net for these but had no luck, to many varieties to chose from. If I could find a page that uses characteristics it would be much easier. I appreciate any help I can get.

-- Tim Crandall (crandall@cecomet.net), April 17, 2001

Answers

You'll probably have to wait until they get a bit older and there are more characteristics for you to identify.

-- Deborah (bearwaoman@Yahoo.com), April 17, 2001.

Tim, try feathersite.com. There is a section on identifying chicks. It is hard to be certian though until they are old enough to see what the comb will look like and what color the adult feathering will be. Many chicks that have white tips on black lose that tip as they feather out. Good luck with the babies and enjoy the eggs/ betty

-- betty modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), April 18, 2001.

Murry McMurry has a really neat catalog. They have pictures of everything you can imagine and it would be a good way to identify your chicks. I don't know if it would be right to get them to send a free catalog just so you could identify your birds though. Maybe you could consider buying something from them some time. I got 25 Red Star female chicks from them a couple of years ago and really have been pleased with them. They are brown egg laying machines. Hope this helps some. http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com Eagle

-- eagle (eagle@alpha1.net), April 18, 2001.

The black ones with white spots are probably anacona's They are a white eggs layer. Cathy

-- Cathy Armstrong (pwlops2000@yahoo.com), April 19, 2001.