Hi, we are first time chicken owners. We were finally able to get chickens after years of thinking & planning (but life had other plans).
Our city (in the Dallas area) allows 24 hens and 1 rooster (great, eh??). We'd like to keep maybe 8-10 hens and we do want that one rooster. Now we are trying to find out if any of ours our roosters, and if not we'd like to add a rooster to the flock while they are still young (8-11 weeks old).
Our first purchase of baby chicks was at a random feed store a ways out in the country. They were straight run & didn't even say which breed, but we took the plunge. After much research we believe we have: 2 Buff Orpingtons, a Golden Laced Cochin, a Silver Laced Cochin, and a Partridge Cochin.
One of the 6 original chics died within a week (yolk sac infection) so I picked up a baby chick at a local feed store. They said they were all Easter Egger pullets. She does look like a hen, but we want to make sure.
A few days later I started thinking, what if several end up being roosters? So I ordered 3 more females from MyPetChicken: Cream Legbar, Splash Orpington, Dark Brahma. I'll add those pics later bc they are only 8 weeks old & they are more skiddish, harder to get pics (maybe bc they went outside at a younger age - the others were handled a lot more as chicks bc they were in a brooder inside house).
First are pics of the Buff Orpingtons, at 11 weeks old. They look very alike to me, but here one is on a branch & the other is on the run floor.
We think both are hens bc they don't have very pronounced waddles/ combs & those are pale. (and btw, as new chicks one had long, pointy wings while the other had shorter wings, not pointy)
EDIT: Oops, the first 2 are pics of one BO, & the other BO is in the last 2 pics
Next pics are the 3 Cochins, at 11 weeks old. (3 of the golden, 2 of the silver, 2 of the partridge).
Last pic is the Easter Egger, at 10 weeks old.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
Our city (in the Dallas area) allows 24 hens and 1 rooster (great, eh??). We'd like to keep maybe 8-10 hens and we do want that one rooster. Now we are trying to find out if any of ours our roosters, and if not we'd like to add a rooster to the flock while they are still young (8-11 weeks old).
Our first purchase of baby chicks was at a random feed store a ways out in the country. They were straight run & didn't even say which breed, but we took the plunge. After much research we believe we have: 2 Buff Orpingtons, a Golden Laced Cochin, a Silver Laced Cochin, and a Partridge Cochin.
One of the 6 original chics died within a week (yolk sac infection) so I picked up a baby chick at a local feed store. They said they were all Easter Egger pullets. She does look like a hen, but we want to make sure.
A few days later I started thinking, what if several end up being roosters? So I ordered 3 more females from MyPetChicken: Cream Legbar, Splash Orpington, Dark Brahma. I'll add those pics later bc they are only 8 weeks old & they are more skiddish, harder to get pics (maybe bc they went outside at a younger age - the others were handled a lot more as chicks bc they were in a brooder inside house).
First are pics of the Buff Orpingtons, at 11 weeks old. They look very alike to me, but here one is on a branch & the other is on the run floor.
We think both are hens bc they don't have very pronounced waddles/ combs & those are pale. (and btw, as new chicks one had long, pointy wings while the other had shorter wings, not pointy)
EDIT: Oops, the first 2 are pics of one BO, & the other BO is in the last 2 pics
Next pics are the 3 Cochins, at 11 weeks old. (3 of the golden, 2 of the silver, 2 of the partridge).
Last pic is the Easter Egger, at 10 weeks old.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks.Attachments
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Buff 1 at 11 weeks.jpg -
Buff 1 at 11 weeks #2.jpg -
Cochin golden laced at 11 weeks #2.jpg -
Cochin Golden laced at 11 weeks.jpg -
Cochin Golden laced at 11 weeks #3.png -
Cochin Silver laced at 11 weeks.jpg -
Cochin Silver Laced at 11 weeks #2.jpg -
Cochin Partridge at 11 weeks #2.jpg -
Cochin Partridge at 11 weeks #3.jpg -
Easter egger at 10 weeks #3.jpg -
Buff 2 at 11 weeks.jpg -
Buff 2 at 11 weeks #2.jpg
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