10 week old chicks--and questions! UPDATED FOR PICS

[UrbanEgg]

I am still learning about raising chickens so I'm glad I found this forum. (I have 3 adult hens--got them in january from a friend who moved).

So we have 10 week old chicks now 4 different varieties. Around 2-3 weeks I noticed that my Aurucana (Skittles) had a crooked bottom beak? I watched her close and she still seems to get by eating and drinking fine. Is there anything I need to do for her or just keep watching to be sure she's eating?

And my second question--I am suspicious that my rhode island red (Rhodie) is a rooster. I was told they had a 90% chance to be girls, so I knew this might be. Do rhode island red pullets get blackish/rainbowish tail and neck feathers? It hasn't crowed that I have heard, but it is the most aggressive of the 4 chicks and the biggest (which is why I thought it was the most aggressive). I've been trying to search for pictures of rhrode island hens vs roosters at this age, but can't find any.

thanks!

 

[noitulover]

your RIR might be a roo... but more aggressive isn't a 100% guarantee that it's a roo... sometimes RIRs can be skittish or aggressive. post a pic and you might get some more responses...

the one with a crooked beak has Cross Beak... some people have luck with having vets sand down parts of the beak to make them go straighter or something, but you would have to ask someone else since i'm not too familiar with this condition... if the chick can eat and drink, then i suppose it is probably okay... just watch it to make sure it isn't starving!

 

[Judy]

The tail feather colors on the RIR aren't informative either. You will mostly see it in the size and redness of the comb and wattles if you have a roo, but these will also vary somewhat among a flock of hens. The behavior is a clue, as the other poster said, but only a clue. Hens can get pretty aggressive too.

Cross beak is a skull deformity. Right, just be sure it is eating and drinking. Gets more complicated if the crossing advances and interferes with eating/drinking.

 

[UrbanEgg]

alright, I just plugged in my dead camera. Soon as it's had a minute to charge, I'll take a picture of my rhodie.

 

[UrbanEgg]

OK...I got some pics of Rhodie (the tail feathers of a rooster?) This 10 weeks + a few days.

And Skittles (the crooked beak)

And a bonus because its a fun pic--the chicks a few weeks back discovering grass during an afternoon out of the brooder (along with my then 8 month old discovering grass and chicks)

 

[crazycluck]

I think roo.

 

[cmom]

I think Roo too. Here is a pic of my Roo at about the same age around 12 weeks.