Are these roo's?

beaches4me

Songster
8 Years
Jun 2, 2012
59
66
126
Clifton Forge, VA
My husband went a lil chicken crazy this spring and got a LOT of straight run chickens from our local tractor supply. We have been trying to get rid of most of most of the roosters but we think there are a few more. In the pictures I am asking about the buff colored chickens with the bigger combs and waddles. Any advice if they are the roos's I suspect? I have family friends who take them for me so I don't have to cull them myself. I know it sounds silly but I do tend to get attached to them. :)
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View attachment 1527531
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Yes, several of those birds are cockerels. Any with pointy hackle and saddle feathers are cockerels.

So if their hackles (those are their combs right?) fold over and get floppy then those are the hens of that breed, right? Is it like that with all the breeds or just that one? You mentioned saddle feather? I will have to look that up cause I remember reading about that but don't remember what the article said. Thank you for your help.
 
No, hackles are the neck feathers and saddle feathers are those on the back just anterior to the tail. Some hen combs flop over and others remain upright. If you post individual pictures we can point out the cockerels. In your second picture there are 3 cockerels and one pullet.
 
So if their hackles (those are their combs right?) fold over and get floppy then those are the hens of that breed, right? Is it like that with all the breeds or just that one? You mentioned saddle feather? I will have to look that up cause I remember reading about that but don't remember what the article said. Thank you for your help.

Hackles are the neck feathers, not the comb. What your saying can happen to any large combed breed, which orpingtons aren't large combed.
This is what I'm talking about with saddle feathers.
Saddle Feathers.jpg
 
No, hackles are the neck feathers and saddle feathers are those on the back just anterior to the tail. Some hen combs flop over and others remain upright. If you post individual pictures we can point out the cockerels. In your second picture there are 3 cockerels and one pullet.
Thank you very much. I will try to get individual pictures of them today.
 
Hackles are the neck feathers, not the comb. What your saying can happen to any large combed breed, which orpingtons aren't large combed.
This is what I'm talking about with saddle feathers.
View attachment 1527566
Thank you for the pictures. They help a lot and for the advice. Thank you everyone so far! It is so very much appreciated!!
 
I believe you have 2 or 3 black sex link pullets. 2 of the buffs look like pullets, also. So at least you have some females. But there are a lot of males, too.

In the last picture, the buff is likely a cockerel. In the upper left corner of the photo, the red and black bird is a definite cockerel.

In the middle picture, I believe you have 2 black sex link pullets at left. The big buff at the back is very likely a cockerel. The buff on the right of the picture looks like a pullet. To the left of her is another buff cockerel, the one facing away from the camera. The buff at the lower left is probably a cockerel, but need better pictures of that bird to be sure.

In the top photo, the black bird at the upper left corner, emerging from the nest box, is a pullet. The buff bird in front of her doesn't have its comb in frame, so can't tell on that one. The large buff bird in the middle is a cockerel. The buff bird to the right of him is a pullet. The black bird in front of her, even though the comb isn't shown, looks like a pullet. The black bird to the left of her looks like another pullet, but not totally sure on that one. And finally, the buff bird at the bottom left is likely a cockerel.

By all means post individual pictures of them to get more accurate guesses. I just wanted to give you an idea of what you've got.
 
I believe you have 2 or 3 black sex link pullets. 2 of the buffs look like pullets, also. So at least you have some females. But there are a lot of males, too.

In the last picture, the buff is likely a cockerel. In the upper left corner of the photo, the red and black bird is a definite cockerel.

In the middle picture, I believe you have 2 black sex link pullets at left. The big buff at the back is very likely a cockerel. The buff on the right of the picture looks like a pullet. To the left of her is another buff cockerel, the one facing away from the camera. The buff at the lower left is probably a cockerel, but need better pictures of that bird to be sure.

In the top photo, the black bird at the upper left corner, emerging from the nest box, is a pullet. The buff bird in front of her doesn't have its comb in frame, so can't tell on that one. The large buff bird in the middle is a cockerel. The buff bird to the right of him is a pullet. The black bird in front of her, even though the comb isn't shown, looks like a pullet. The black bird to the left of her looks like another pullet, but not totally sure on that one. And finally, the buff bird at the bottom left is likely a cockerel.

By all means post individual pictures of them to get more accurate guesses. I just wanted to give you an idea of what you've got.

Thank you thank you Jed Jackson!! Your detailed reply is so very appreciated. I am going to upload some 'individual pics' of the buffs that I believe are mostly cockerels and I will try to get a better picture of the red and black one later just for for sure verification before we get rid of him too. Thank you!
 

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