Hobblesthechick
In the Brooder
- Apr 29, 2023
- 20
- 4
- 16
Hi all,
As title suggests… we have three chicks that are 4 weeks old and I’m wondering if there is a way to figure out gender based on how they’re maturing/observing their looks?
(Short backstory)
They’re from a school hatch and I kept them as one was injured and needed hand-rearing but I didn’t want it not to be socialised when it came to reintegrating to the flock (5 taken by a school colleague’s friend). She promised to take these three too and that in a month or two we’d take the hens to live at school.
Our injured chick is all better and now it’s come to returning to the other 5 on this woman’s land, she’s being a bit funny and flaky and it looks like we’ll be keeping them (although I’ll need to persuade her to take a rooster if any of them are)
Now:
Picture 1 is the suspected Roo. It seems much bigger than the other two chicks, has chunkier legs and a more developed comb. Also personality wise is quite bolshy/bold and doesn’t like being handled.
Picture 2 is our other black chick which is smaller, has the beginning of brown colouring on chest and has a smaller comb and slimmer legs. Is happy being handled and is quite tame/quiet.
Picture 3 is Hobbles our previously injured chick that has caught up in size so quickly and is now the same size as Picture 2, again slimmer legs, and a smaller comb.
Picture 4 is all three for size comparison.
What do we all think? If one is a rooster I’m keen to have him reintegrated to his flock sooner rather than later, but is it also possible that it could just be a hen that’s growing faster? Or even that the other two, although suspected hens, could also be roosters?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as it’s a quick turn around to get them situated long term xx
As title suggests… we have three chicks that are 4 weeks old and I’m wondering if there is a way to figure out gender based on how they’re maturing/observing their looks?
(Short backstory)
They’re from a school hatch and I kept them as one was injured and needed hand-rearing but I didn’t want it not to be socialised when it came to reintegrating to the flock (5 taken by a school colleague’s friend). She promised to take these three too and that in a month or two we’d take the hens to live at school.
Our injured chick is all better and now it’s come to returning to the other 5 on this woman’s land, she’s being a bit funny and flaky and it looks like we’ll be keeping them (although I’ll need to persuade her to take a rooster if any of them are)
Now:
Picture 1 is the suspected Roo. It seems much bigger than the other two chicks, has chunkier legs and a more developed comb. Also personality wise is quite bolshy/bold and doesn’t like being handled.
Picture 2 is our other black chick which is smaller, has the beginning of brown colouring on chest and has a smaller comb and slimmer legs. Is happy being handled and is quite tame/quiet.
Picture 3 is Hobbles our previously injured chick that has caught up in size so quickly and is now the same size as Picture 2, again slimmer legs, and a smaller comb.
Picture 4 is all three for size comparison.
What do we all think? If one is a rooster I’m keen to have him reintegrated to his flock sooner rather than later, but is it also possible that it could just be a hen that’s growing faster? Or even that the other two, although suspected hens, could also be roosters?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as it’s a quick turn around to get them situated long term xx
