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

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old are they? I see no obvious roosters, most look to be pullets.

 

[PirateGirl]

I don't think you have as many cockerels as you fear. Hold out a bit longer. Even girls will get feathers near their tails that curve down. Look closer at the tips of the feathers, are the pointy or are they the same rounded shape as the rest of the feathers? None of these birds screams cockerel, but I can see why you are second guessing yourself on one or two of them.

 

[Telika]

They are approaching ten weeks in a day or two. I thought the tail in the first picture as well as the aggressive behaviour may be a giveaway. I know RIR tend to be more aggressive though and this one has been the first to approach us at every turn ever since we brought him/her home at a day old.

 

[Telika]

I don't think you have as many cockerels as you fear. Hold out a bit longer. Even girls will get feathers near their tails that curve down. Look closer at the tips of the feathers, are the pointy or are they the same rounded shape as the rest of the feathers? None of these birds screams cockerel, but I can see why you are second guessing yourself on one or two of them.

The first picture, it's tail feathers are pointed, not rounded. The albino looking chick has almost no tail to speak of so it's hard to gauge with that one.

 

[Chickassan]

I think the one with the "grub" legs is a doodle. I can't guage the others yet especially the red but little grubby just seems male.

 

[Telika]

I think the one with the "grub" legs is a doodle. I can't guage the others yet especially the red but little grubby just seems male.

Ha-great name. He was a chipmunk striped chick, but no idea what his breed is. Funny looking guy. I have to agree with you on that one though, I suspect a roo. I'll keep an eye and see what else develops. Thanks!

 

[Flamens Farm]

Look like pullets to me, there is a chance that one might be a roo but it looks just like my pullet so hard to tell.

 

[Telika]

Look like pullets to me, there is a chance that one might be a roo but it looks just like my pullet so hard to tell.

That's so reassuring. They all have names- and our kids each have one they call their own, so breaking that news would be tough. They knew the risks going in, but after dropping off the obvious roosters I think I jumped the gun in saying I was confident we could keep the rest. Lesson learned.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Don't do anything dramatic yet but I'll give my opinion.

On the first one, the red, The legs do not look especially heavy but the upright posture, general confirmation, and the curving tail look male to me.

In the second photo the silver laced appears to have pointy hackle feathers. That makes me think boy.

I'm undecided on that salmon/roan one, the white with the dark red feathers in the same photo as her silver laced. The posture and tail feathers argue boy but the hackle feathers look rounded, which means girl. Keep you fingers crossed on this one.

On the next to last one, the white with black and maybe brown in the saddle feathers. The legs look heavy, the tail feathers look to be curving, and the posture all look male.

I get the feeling that the last one is a girl. I don't see anything that suggests boy.

Are those bad odds if it turns out that most are boys? Of course, but they are not that unusual. I regularly get 2/3 or even 3/4 of males (or females) in my hatches, you never know what you will get. As far as odds go one of my worse was 14 females and 4 cockerels in a meat hatch where I wanted boys. I've had hatches close to that with most being boys. A 50-50 hatch is rarer fro me that a 7 to 3 ratio. It's just odds. But every time I've added up all may hatches over a two year period, which is usually 7 to 9 hatches, the results have been right at 50-50.

What do your facilities look like? How many coops, runs, and brooders plus what size are they in feet or meters? What do you have to work with? Integration does not have to be that hard, many of us do it with minor difficulties. To me the key factors are having sufficient room, match maturity levels, and be patient. Don't force them but give them enough room to work it out themselves at their pace.

Don't do anything yet, make sure of how many pullets you do have. But I'd probably try to pick up a couple more pullets from that hobby farmer the same age as your others if you can and integrate them. It probably won't be that hard.

 

[Telika]

Don't do anything dramatic yet but I'll give my opinion.

On the first one, the red, The legs do not look especially heavy but the upright posture, general confirmation, and the curving tail look male to me.

In the second photo the silver laced appears to have pointy hackle feathers. That makes me think boy.

I'm undecided on that salmon/roan one, the white with the dark red feathers in the same photo as her silver laced. The posture and tail feathers argue boy but the hackle feathers look rounded, which means girl. Keep you fingers crossed on this one.

On the next to last one, the white with black and maybe brown in the saddle feathers. The legs look heavy, the tail feathers look to be curving, and the posture all look male.

I get the feeling that the last one is a girl. I don't see anything that suggests boy.

Are those bad odds if it turns out that most are boys? Of course, but they are not that unusual. I regularly get 2/3 or even 3/4 of males (or females) in my hatches, you never know what you will get. As far as odds go one of my worse was 14 females and 4 cockerels in a meat hatch where I wanted boys. I've had hatches close to that with most being boys. A 50-50 hatch is rarer fro me that a 7 to 3 ratio. It's just odds. But every time I've added up all may hatches over a two year period, which is usually 7 to 9 hatches, the results have been right at 50-50.

What do your facilities look like? How many coops, runs, and brooders plus what size are they in feet or meters? What do you have to work with? Integration does not have to be that hard, many of us do it with minor difficulties. To me the key factors are having sufficient room, match maturity levels, and be patient. Don't force them but give them enough room to work it out themselves at their pace.

Don't do anything yet, make sure of how many pullets you do have. But I'd probably try to pick up a couple more pullets from that hobby farmer the same age as your others if you can and integrate them. It probably won't be that hard.

Thanks, that's helpful. We have an elevated coop around 25 sq. feet and an enclosed run that's about 60 sq. ft.

Unfortunately, the local lady doesn't have any pullets at that age available. I could look around elsewhere though.

For now I'll bide my time and see who turns out to be who when it's all said and done.