Help! Cocks or hens? Pekin bantam

tobambino

Hatching
Oct 10, 2015
3
0
7
Hi, This is our first 2 chicks that we hatched from a borrowed broody silkie. They are pekin bantams and are 10 weeks old. They are very close and are always together, however recently they have started to square up to each other and fight. So my question is are they both male? They are so friendly with my children and they will be so upset if I have to get rid of one or both if they are going to fight :-( any help would be greatly appreciated as I have not a clue despite extensive picture hunting on the internet to compare!



 
Hi,
My hens when they were young would square up like that and if their neck feathers lift, although it looks rough they could be playing, this includes chest bumping. Roo's usually have thicker legs and their little hidden comb is a lot thicker. Also saddle feathers are a sign of boys
smile.png

Hope i've helped, Fi
 
At this point they both look like hens. At this age hens will be establishing a pecking order and will square off with each other often until dominance is established and after that every once in a while the less dominant hens will try to gain rank.
 
At 10 weeks, those look to be pullets to me as roos would have substantially more comb.

As to the sparing and bumping....I've had lots of pullets growing up go through phases of spats, never come to any harm, just making sure who knows who is boss....sort of like sisters making sure the other knows who gets the top bunk or the favorite spot.

The most hysterical show of dominance I've seen is when I reintroduced my Silkie in again with the bantam Cochin girls...her long time mates...it was brief, it was "intense" with all the ferociousness of two dust mops "duking" it out...and over in a matter of seconds but resettled the flock and they are now co-brooding in a nest again....ah yes....girls will be girls.

LofMc
 
Thank you everyone so much for all your help, that has made me very happy :)) i love my baby chicks!! xx
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom