A box full of joy

Well, today was the day. The main post office downtown called me this morning to say that my chicks were there, and that they wouldn't get delivered to my local post office until Monday, so if I wanted to, I could come and pick them up. If I *wanted* to???? Of COURSE I wanted to! I rushed on down there.

Now, my order was from Murray McMurray hatchery. I've heard mixed reviews, so I kept an open mind. Fortunately, their hatchery is in Webster City, Iowa. I knew they had a short trip to get to me, so I hoped it would be OK.

I ordered 25 of their brown egg layers special (all pullets) and 25 of their ornamental layers special (also all pullets).

The brown egg layers are guaranteed to include at least 5 different ones from this list: Black Australorps; Lt. Brahmas; Dark Cornish; Black and White Giants; Buff and White Orpingtons; New Hampshire, Rhode Island Reds, Barred, White, Partridge, Buff Rocks;Delaware, Sussex, Turkens; White, Silver Laced, & Columbian Wyandottes, Red Star and Black Star.

The ornamental layers are guaranteed to include at least 8 different ones from this list: Sumatras, Dominiques, Golden Laced and Silver Penciled Wyandottes, Silver, Golden, Buff Laced, and White Polish, Golden Campines, Golden Penciled Hamburgs, Silver Penciled Rocks, Partridge, Black, Buff, Blue, & Silver Laced and White Cochins, Araucanas, Dark and Buff Brahmas, Phoenix, Fayoumis, Salmon Faverolles, W. L. Red Cornish, Lakenvelders, Black and White Langshans, Red Caps, Silver Leghorns, Crevecoeurs, Silver Gray Dorkings, Modern BB Red Games, Sultans, Buttercups, Spanish, White Crested Black Polish, Buff Laced Polish, Golden Polish, Silver Polish, White Polish, Black Polish, Mottled Houdans, Crevecoeurs, and Sultans.

(deep breath - that was a lot!)

Soooooo, I'm hoping y'all can help me figure out some of what I got! Are ya ready? Here we go...

First off, here's my group of "whites" which is 11 chicks.

NO feathered legs.

I am assuming they could be any of the following:
white giants, white orpingtons or white wyandottes (from brown layers)
white cochin, white langshan from the ornamentals.

Okay, next up is 9 more or less buff chicks.

Two are more white but with buff on their heads, which none of the other white chicks had.

I am guessing possibly....buff orpingtons, buff rocks, or buff cochins.

OK, next up are the 5 caramel-ish colour stripey ones. Sort of partridge-ish colouring.

What do you think? Could be partridge rocks I guess. What else could they be?

Wait, I hear you say it. There are 6 birds in that picture. I know. That's because that one is....

.......a NAKED NECK!!! Woo hoo!!! Cutie little wut wut naked neck boo boo babie....

Next up, darker partridge-y stripey babies.

Two of them.

Plus a solid grey.

Thoughts? Guesses? No feathered legs.

Dang, Claire---doesn't that qualify as wheaten or wild type and narrow it to something, something, or something?? wish could remember, but...

Next, we come to the only feathered leg babies. Two yellowish-grey ones. Ta daaaa.

Are cochins always feathered legs? Maybe I can eliminate those from the above guesses if so.

So what are these?

Grow....which one?!

OK, next up are the POLISH!!! Woot woot!

I have 6 of these with the black backs, the greyish wings, and the white head pobbles...

http://www.pekinbantams.com/genetics_two_two.asp

Here are the suspected Polish as a group.

Possibilities are: White Crested Black Polish, Buff Laced Polish, Golden Polish, Silver Polish, White Polish, Black Polish.

Not buff, not golden, not white, not black. So, either white crested black (???not sure???) or silver (cool!)

I can hardly keep up, but found a reference page you might like or have found and forgotten. Too much cuteness to concentrate much...

Grow - thanks! Requires study!!!

Here is the suspected second group of Polish.

Again, probably either silver or....?

Their heads aren't quite as pobbly as the first group. Maybe they are not Polish - could be Mottled Houdans, Crevecoeurs, or sultans?

Here's a close up of what I am calling the "salt and pepper" group, above.

Grow - I know! And I have to live with them!!

OK, these two I call the "owl" chicks. They have the muffs for sure. Are they....dare I say it out loud....? (whispering now....Araucanas????)

(looks around to see if anyone heard the whisper).

They do look a bit rumpless, maybe.

I really wonder how you manage to keep your foci!!!

The salt and peppers are fascinating -What on earth could they be?!

One unidentified brownish chick with interesting facial marking.

Grow - I have no foci. :-)

wild columbian plusses and minusses and susspicious blue egg markers come to mind, but I think I spy a little rump on one...

A black Naked Neck of some sort!!

Awww....

yeswehavenobananas, wehaveno bananaaas todaaay...

Grow, you could be right. I am over-exuberant in the face of all this chickness.

Here are two interesting black and white ones, with different facial markings....

And FINALLY, there are three "ordinary" looking black and white chicks which I suspect may be barred rocks. There are only two of the 3 in this pic.

So, only the extraordinarily observant (finicky, petulant, perfectionist?) among you will have noticed that I have described 51 chicks, rather than 50. This is because I got a "free rare and exotic" chick. One of these is that chick. Do I know which? Are you nuts? Of course I don't know which one!! LOL!!!

Anyway, all helpful suggestions on breeds wildly appreciated. I will try to keep up with photo updates as they grow.

We'll now we've got THAT straight, lol. That really is a fascinating puzzle you've opened up there. Hope someone knows...

Really Grownut, I fully expected you to simply list off the breeds as I posted the pictures. I think you've been a bit slack on the homework these days.... ;-)

The naked neck is an obvious 'single'...

But there are two naked necks - the caramel coloured one and the black one.

Perhaps I've misrepresented myself somewhat...

I concur that those last look rather barred rock-ish...

The owl eyes and the stripes are both indicators of type. Just don't remember which.

This is a mottled Houdan chick from feathersite pictures. Do you think my white head pobble chicks might be mottled houdans?

Here is the link I got the picture from:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Houdan/BRKHoudan.html

Well, dang I thought there was just one...

Did one of those blue egg lookin' things have less rump than the others? Decidedly round bum?

Have you counted toes yet? I forgot about that...

All 4-toed. Took new pics of owly ones. Hang on.

She sneaks in, head bowed...eyes shifting from left to right...

"Faverolles....cute fluffy yellow chicks with feathered legs.....Salmon Faverolles"

She pulls the coat collar up around her neck and slips into the inky shadows.....

Houdans are five. Also Dorking and Faverolle.

Oooh Sneeeeeaky-piiiiie?? Do the Favs have 5 toes always like the web page said?

bums.

OOooohhhhh, Catscan snuck in!!

Dang, no five toes. going to recount.

She sluthers...

Or is it The Fog by Rbt Frost? I fergit...

All chicks accounted for with 4 toes only. Repeat....no five-toed aliens.

Houdans out of the question then.

Noted: only feathered-legged birds are 2 yellowish-grey, more on the grey side....and not faverolle-ish looking.

Then there's shank color and comb shape. Not much help...

The padded footfalls of her slippered feet retreat into the distance....a piece of paper floats on a current of air--

"Brahma," the letters stand out stark and ominous.

"Dark, Buff or Light."