As a beloved family pet, I have a chicken of which I would like to know the breed.

Of the breeds I've seen online, it (she) looks a bit like a Black Australorp or a Black Giant, and I was wondering if there are any traits (physical) specific to those breeds that I could use to determine my chicken's breed.

She's kind of a big bird, but not to much bigger than the Buff Orphington she had as a companion until recently. She is... kind of shorter and fatter than the Orphington was. :) If you'd like to see her for yourself, I snapped a pic of her and posted it on the web. The URL is http://home.earthlink.net/~johnguenther/crow.jpg

Any help you all could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. :)

-- John Guenther (johnguenther@earthlink.net), April 30, 2001

Answers

John, From your picture, with the mottling and other colors, she isn't a Black Australop or a Jersey Giant. She looks more like a cross breed to me. I'll do some more looking and see if I can come up with a better idea. The white streaking on the feathers is distinctive and it's ringing a bell in my head..just have to go find it in my catalogs.

-- Deborah (bearwaoman@Yahoo.com), April 30, 2001.

John looked at picture and she looks like our black sex-links.

-- jd-tx (inkina@cctc.net), April 30, 2001.

John, here's a list of breeds; perhaps you can find your bird:

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKChickensA-C.html

You could have a cross, which REALLY makes it difficult to figure out! :^)

I just got a bunch of Turken chicks from the hatchery and for some ungawdly reason they tossed in a mystery bird. Wish it had also been a Turken. These birds are really ugly, but they're brown eggs are h-u-g-e and they're my favorite breed! I've been thru the list I've sent you, and either I missed something or this chick is a cross.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), May 01, 2001.

Hi John: I agree with the ohers, she most likely is a cross but I'll throw in my opinion too. She looks very similar to some of our Easter Egger Chickens. We have some with similar markings and they get to be good sized hens. Decent layers too.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@Linkup.net), May 01, 2001.

John - We had some hens that look just like the picture of your hen. They were Black Sex Link. They are a result of crossing Rhode Island Red and Barred Rocks. They are really hardy, excellent layers. Black Sex Link babies are easy to tell the sex because pullets are black and males are barred. Hope this helps you. Winona

-- Winona in MO (thompsonwin45@hotmail.com), May 01, 2001.

I have 10 of these. They were bought as chicks two years ago. They are Black sex-link. JD and Winona are correct. You have a great hen!

-- Eve in FL (owenall@lwol.com), May 02, 2001.

Okay, black sex link. Got it. :)

Thank you all so much for your help, I really appreciate it.

And yes, she *is* a great hen. ;)

-- John Guenther (johnguenther@earthlink.net), May 02, 2001.

Again, going by the picture at the site you posted she is most likely a cross. From the picture it doesn't appear that she has black plumage, rather a brown with some balck? I hate to disagree with everyone else but from the picture it looks like she has a pea comb. Black sex-link hens are a RIR/New Hampshire X Barred Rock and they hae single combs. Check out the site Rogo listed and check under Easter Egg chickens (Araucana cross). There is a hen with very similar coloring to your hen there. Not that you have to agree with this idea - as majority usually rules.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@Linkup.net), May 02, 2001.