8/10 straight run chicks seem to be cockerels...

[Telika]

We got day old chicks about ten weeks ago from a local hobby farmer who has a large backyard flock. Because we knew we would be taking a risk with straight run, we got ten chicks. At eight weeks we had four extremely obvious cockerels, so they went back to the hobby farmer as she had offered to take back any boys. We built a coop and run to give plenty of space for six hens if we were lucky enough to get that many, or to provide room for flock growth if not.

It seems over the past few days that many of the remaining six are showing signs they are also cockerels. We may have as few as two hens, with a big coop and run to share.

My question is this- what now? We are new to all of this and I am reluctant to restart the whole chick raising process. We would like to have at least 3-4 hens, but buying hens and introducing them to the existing chicks (even at maturity) can be met with very difficult results as far as I understand.

I'm not quite sure where to go from here. Also- those are pretty bad odds, right????

Advice?

TIA

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Post some photos, maybe you are wrong? I don't do straight run if I can help it. I get bad odds too. Just because it's a 50/50 shot doesn't mean you will 50%, especially at lower numbers.

 

[Telika]

Post some photos, maybe you are wrong? I don't do straight run if I can help it. I get bad odds too. Just because it's a 50/50 shot doesn't mean you will 50%, especially at lower numbers.

I hope I am! Because we were hoping to avoid a hatchery that would ship the chicks, straight run from a local was our best option. I'll post a few pictures, but they are quite a mix of barnyard and heritage breed crosses so that doesn't help! The four we took back already had huge wattles and combs so I guess I thought we were in the clear. The tailfeathers and rooster sounding squawks are leading me to think otherwise though. We figured if we got ten, then 3-4 hens would be a safe hope. Guess not?

 

[llombardo]

I had a 50% boy vs girl. I bought 4 girls and 2 were boys. It just stinks. I am new to all this too and boy was I disappointed.i did get 4 more females that seem to be females, but I'm not looking forward to integrating them. I found a rescue to take the two boys and I tell you, I'm heart broken. I got attached. The leghorn us a damn good rooster but he won't shut up.

 

[cmom]

Do you have any pictures you can post?

 

[Telika]

I had a 50% boy vs girl. I bought 4 girls and 2 were boys. It just stinks. I am new to all this too and boy was I disappointed.i did get 4 more females that seem to be females, but I'm not looking forward to integrating them. I found a rescue to take the two boys and I tell you, I'm heart broken. I got attached. The leghorn us a damn good rooster but he won't shut up.

We are attached too, especially once we thought we had weeded out the boys, we let our hearts get attached. The kids are going to be very unhappy.

 

[Telika]

 

[Telika]

Sorry for the early pictures being repeated, it wouldn't let me change that.

So, picture 1 and 6 (a very rooster-y tail) are what I suspect to be our EE/RIR cross. (S)He's super social and curious and has recently started biting. Lots.

Picture 2 and whatever others have those same 2 are of our suspected silver laced wyandotte/easter egger cross. His/her tail is beginning to look suspect as can be seen in later photos. Not sure of the breed of the second chicken there, comb and wattles are starting to turn red but are nowhere near as pronounced as the roos we took back a few weeks ago.

Second last chicken there is a real misnomer. Almost appears albino in some ways, looks like a rose comb that is starting to redden but with one pea on the top back. It's a very fluffy bird with no pronounced tail and it has an interesting voice and super (grub coloured) white legs that kinda creep me out

Last one, not sure of breed but I think that's a pullet. I hope, because if not then we only have one for sure.

Please let me know what you think as far as breed and gender. Any further advice on how to safely boost our dwindling flock is welcome as well!

 

[Chickassan]

My advice, i don't like my advice but iv'e had to take it myself this year if thats any comfort. Advice is order sexed from the hatchery, you still have about a 10% chance of roos but it is much better odds than straight run. I hatch my own haven't bought chicks in YEARS, that changed this year. I hatched 2 small hatches, 3 the first and 2 the next... i got 1 hen 4 doodles.So first week of July 4 sexed chicks are coming by mail. I will have to intergrate into a flock of 2 and 1 year olds and 2 three month olds. It is possible to do, not fun but possible.

 

[Telika]

My advice, i don't like my advice but iv'e had to take it myself this year if thats any comfort. Advice is order sexed from the hatchery, you still have about a 10% chance of roos but it is much better odds than straight run. I hatch my own haven't bought chicks in YEARS, that changed this year. I hatched 2 small hatches, 3 the first and 2 the next... i got 1 hen 4 doodles.So first week of July 4 sexed chicks are coming by mail. I will have to intergrate into a flock of 2 and 1 year olds and 2 three month olds. It is possible to do, not fun but possible.

That may be our reality, I appreciate the advice!!