Rooster or hen?

PapaChaz

Crowing
9 Years
May 25, 2010
2,833
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311
NW Georgia
Hi all, I have 8 blue ameracauna chick I bought from a local breeder. This was a "straight tun" sale, and he said I'd probably get 50/50 hens to roosters.

Ok, 2 sexes, I get that part, but in the animal world don't females almost always outnumber the males?

At 5 to 6 weeks old, should there begin to be signs to look for? Will the hens establishing their pecking order, jump around at each other "sparring" if you will, like the boys will?

Differences in tail feathers yet? Size of feet? I realize up to a point there will be differences in some things because odds are they weren't all born the same day.

I have 3 that will raise their feathers and jump at each other, looks like they're trying that old time TV wrestling move "i'm gonna drop kick ya".....lol will the girls do this or is it pretty much just the boys?

Thanks in advance for suggestions!
 
all of them will do the little sparring thing...it is funny to watch! As chicks it is very hard to tell...you can't really be sure until they are older. I have gotten many different ratios when i have straight run chicks...here are a few batches i have gotten that were straight run.
6 light brahma chicks, ended up with 5 boys and 1 girl
3 production red chicks, ended up with 1 boy 2 girls
4 Buff brahma chicks, got 4 girls
8 cornish chicks, got 6 boys and 2 girls
12 buff orpingtons got 5 boys and 7 girls

these are just a few examples of various recent purchases (recent as in last spring). It all depends :)
 
thanks!

you are indeed right, it is hilarious to watch them jump up at each other. Reminded me of kids in the school yard fighting........HA

I did notice two of them, between 2 and 3 weeks old starting to grow a comb, these aren't really even supposed to have much of a comb to begin with, I'm hoping those two are the only boys out of the 8.....I'll keep one and give one to my grand daugther, they're currently without a rooster anyway
 
all of them will do the little sparring thing...it is funny to watch! As chicks it is very hard to tell...you can't really be sure until they are older. I have gotten many different ratios when i have straight run chicks...here are a few batches i have gotten that were straight run.
6 light brahma chicks, ended up with 5 boys and 1 girl
3 production red chicks, ended up with 1 boy 2 girls
4 Buff brahma chicks, got 4 girls
8 cornish chicks, got 6 boys and 2 girls
12 buff orpingtons got 5 boys and 7 girls

these are just a few examples of various recent purchases (recent as in last spring). It all depends :)

X 2 - behavior is the least reliable thing to consider in making a gender determination and, no, females don't always outnumber males. In our last hatch we had five chicks - three were male.
At the age of your birds, you can easily take and post some photos and we can help you start to sort through the more reliable clues (physical characteristics they are starting to show) to get an idea of who is what.
 
X 2 - behavior is the least reliable thing to consider in making a gender determination and, no, females don't always outnumber males. In our last hatch we had five chicks - three were male.
At the age of your birds, you can easily take and post some photos and we can help you start to sort through the more reliable clues (physical characteristics they are starting to show) to get an idea of who is what.

thanks! I'll try to get some close ups tomorrow, I've been working on the new coop and run and should finish completely tomorrow, DW has said, "it's time to get the yard cleaned up" LOL

I have a thread over in coop maintenance and design, (future coop and run) if anyone would like to go check it out
 
thanks!

you are indeed right, it is hilarious to watch them jump up at each other. Reminded me of kids in the school yard fighting........HA

I did notice two of them, between 2 and 3 weeks old starting to grow a comb, these aren't really even supposed to have much of a comb to begin with, I'm hoping those two are the only boys out of the 8.....I'll keep one and give one to my grand daugther, they're currently without a rooster anyway
your welcome :)

haha, just like kids in a school yard...i've seen the others stop doing what they were doing and watch the fight lol :D

2 out of 8 would be a pretty cool ratio!
 
ok sorry I'm a couple days late getting these pics. Did the best I could do by myself, trying to take squirming chicken selfies isn't that easy, HA
If the 3 wide comb is a true indication, I have a few boys around, LOL
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so far, all of these are the 6 week olds. next 2 are 5 weeks old
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ok so there we are, some of you more knowledgeable ones, see if you agree with me. I think 1, 2, and 5 are roosters. The last two, don't have quite enough bumps yet to tell, but it looks like both of them are pullets. What say ye? and thanks!
 

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