Please help with gender?

[Anigozanthos]

This is our first time raising chicks. A friend of a friend gave my children a random selection of eggs so they could have a go at hatching and raising the chicks. We ended up with three, and they are around 8 1/2 weeks old now. I am not sure of the breeds.

I've been lurking around a lot to get tips on identifying the gender of our chickens, and want to see how close I am with my guesses.

I suspect we have at least two roosters, the brown one I am certain about as he started crowing this week. Unfortunately I suspect the black one is a rooster too?



This one I am not sure about but I am hoping a hen?



This is another shot of the two I am just guessing about.



Thanks for your help

 

[ramirezframing]

I think your right on your guesses

 

[Anigozanthos]

Thanks, though it's a shame we can't keep the roosters. I guess now we start looking for some new friends for the hen. I think I'm already more addicted than the kids!

 

[ramirezframing]

Thanks, though it's a shame we can't keep the roosters. I guess now we start looking for some new friends for the hen. I think I'm already more addicted than the kids!

It happens easily. Watch out for chicken math

 

[DBCOOP2014]

I have 4 Polish Cross birds and can't tell which ones are hens. I know I have 2 roosters,but unsure of the other 2. They are like 4 months old. Can't really tell by comb since they are covered up with plumage.

 

[hope4rainbow]

I think you were right!

The one that you said crows is a red...something. Lol. Ours is a "rir" but from a hatchery so more a production strain than breed standards like yours seems to be or be a mix of.

 

[BantamLover21]

The brown/red birds are probably production-type Rhode Island Reds. I'm not sure on the breed of the black one; it is probably some sort of mix, though. The black one and larger red one are roosters, but the smaller brown one could be a hen.

 

[Anigozanthos]

Thanks for your input The photos were taken late afternoon in low light (it's ridiculously hot here at the moment) but in the sun the black one has a gorgeous green sheen. Possibly some Australorp in the mix?

 

[Anigozanthos]

UPDATE: We rehomed our roosters and kept what we think is our girl. The roosters were swapped for a Welsummer and a Sussex that the breeder swore were pullets. Lo and behold, at around five months of age our Sussex started crowing

This is our red (hopefully) pullet but now I'm paranoid that I don't have a handle on sexing chickens at all! She (

) is 17 weeks old, still very little comb development. Sorry about the photo quality, as she hid in our little temporary coop when I pulled out the camera.

Any more thoughts on breed would be great too as she has grown quite dark around the tail.