7 1/2 week old Delaware... Roo?

A while back I posted some pics of my then 4 weeks and 4 day old Delaware, Gwenny Henny, with suspicion that she was actually a Lenny ROO... It was suggested that I might want to post again in 3 weeks to be sure. Well, it's been three weeks to the day, and I'm thinking this question is probably pretty cursory at this point; to me, I'm thinking -definitely- a roo... what say you, fellow BYC'ers?







I'm already embracing the idea of having a Roo -- hoping he will stay docile and not be overly aggressive with his human overloads or the ladies of his harem -- because I am pretty sure what I have here is a handsome BOY... Right?

With a comb and wattles that large and red at 7 1/2 weeks, it is definitely a cockerel; Lenny rather than Gwenny Henny.

That's a huge chicken for 7 weeks!!! My 7 weeks still fit in the palm of my hand.

Now I just have to make sure I don't have any Squiggies in the mix! LOL Pretty sure the rest of my flock are ladies... the only one I have any concerns about is my Wyandotte. She doesn't look particularly "roo-ish" to me, but she seems to like palling around with Lenny more than the other ladies. I'm hoping she's just a tomboy... I'll post her (hopefully, her) pics in a new post... Thanks!!

Qualara said:

That's a huge chicken for 7 weeks!!! My 7 weeks still fit in the palm of my hand.

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He is definitely 7 1/2 weeks! We got him at the same time as the rest of the flock and they were all day-old balls of fluff with egg tooth and all... It is my understanding that Delawares were originally bred to be meat birds, so they mature faster than a lot of other breeds. This one sure has; there was a noticeable size difference by the end of the first week!

cruxmama said:

He is definitely 7 1/2 weeks! We got him at the same time as the rest of the flock and they were all day-old balls of fluff with egg tooth and all... It is my understanding that Delawares were originally bred to be meat birds, so they mature faster than a lot of other breeds. This one sure has; there was a noticeable size difference by the end of the first week!

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Oh I believe you! Just he's huge! I've always wondered what kind of strain meat birds have growing that quick. Not good for their bodies. He's a beautiful chicken though. I want one now. Lol

Qualara said:

Oh I believe you! Just he's huge! I've always wondered what kind of strain meat birds have growing that quick. Not good for their bodies. He's a beautiful chicken though. I want one now. Lol

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To be fair, the hands you see in the pic above belong to my 7-year-old son, so that might help a little with perspective LOL... but yeah, he is definitely bigger than everybody else in my flock. Here is the whole flock last week. They were 6 weeks, 5 days in this pic, the best I have of everybody side-by-side for the comparison. Left to right is: Pepper (black austrolorp), Lynda Carter (my hopefully female golden-laced wyandotte), Stella (buff orpington), Henrietta (barred rock), and Sir Lenny Roo...

cruxmama said:

Now I just have to make sure I don't have any Squiggies in the mix! LOL Pretty sure the rest of my flock are ladies... the only one I have any concerns about is my Wyandotte. She doesn't look particularly "roo-ish" to me, but she seems to like palling around with Lenny more than the other ladies. I'm hoping she's just a tomboy... I'll post her (hopefully, her) pics in a new post... Thanks!!

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You're welcome.

He is a BIG and very pretty boy for sure! Are you going to be able to keep him or is it no roosters for you?

trailrider330 said:

He is a BIG and very pretty boy for sure! Are you going to be able to keep him or is it no roosters for you?

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It's going to depend on whether my Lynda Carter ends up being a roo as well. There are no legal (or neighborly) restrictions to prevent us from keeping a rooster, but our coop can only hold 5 without overcrowding.. and five is what we have. Two roos sharing three hens seems like a bad plan; and we really hope to have at least 4 hens for egg productions. So, if Gwenny and Lynda end up being Lenny and Squiggy, we will look to rehome both and bring in two started (confirmed) pullets at the same time in a few months. Seems like that is probably the best way to go? Our coop definitely cannot allow for any addition in the chicken math here.