2 brown chickens - roosters or hens?

[delawaregirl09]

Hey!! I bred birds to look just like those!! Your first one is a rooster for sure, but I had six pullets that looked just like the second one at 4-6months of age. For the longest of time I thought they were boys, then I got eggs in the rooster pen

 

[jeslewmazer]

#1 is a roo, #2 does not look like it has pointed saddle feathers so it makes me think pullet--but otherwise it does look like a roo.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

They are both cockerels.

1. Probably the top bird in the pecking order. He's probably running the other one rampant when you're not watching.

2. The cockerel in the second photo is beginning to get more pointed hackle feathers. His comb and wattles are very developed and his legs are very large. He will be a beauty though!

 

[HennyPennyMum]

I suppose the only way I'll know for sure is to wait another couple of weeks for them to both start crowing - then I'll have my confirmation!

For me, #1 should be really stunning (given he already has nice white "fanned" tail feathers - which I'm guessing (being the unintended chicken novice that I am) will only get bigger as he gets older). When he was a bub, he was a very pale yellow and we thought he was going to be a white chicken... oops, glad I didn't put any money on that one!!

So far the definite rooster (whose head is in one of the shots with #1) has started to crow from 7:10am. He has only crows 5 or 6 times and is as quiet as a mouse for the rest of the day. Last night we moved all 3 of them into another shed which has 1 window (which we have "blackened out"). Not one peep out of him until they were all let out at around 8:15am. I'm hoping this "limited + reasonable hour" crowing won't generate any complaints. It's not like he's crowing all hours of the day and at 4:30am!! Hopefully this "black night shed" idea will help control all of them for as long as possible - well, until good homes can be found for them.

Another question: what has everyone's experiences been with bringing a lone "stranger" rooster amongst a flock of hens? My concern is even if we find each of them a home - there might be a personality clash with the hens they end up living with and the new owners might just go "hey, this dude is attacking our chickens, off with his head!!" (which I obviously don't want to have happen).

 

[kyeschicks]

roosters

 

[TinaK]

I'm no expert... but I have 2 ISA browns and have spent the last 6 weeks trying to determine whether they were pullets or roos!!! So... I have at least done a bit of research on the matter!!! (I don't know if that makes me qualified to comment

)....

for what it's worth.. here is my opinion!!

i'd agree chick 1 is a rooster 4 sure!

Chick 2... Undecided...

and this is why...

-Can't see any pointed saddle feathers
-Colouring of feathers is more of a dusty brown hen like color rather than the rich feather colour of the roosters.. considering the age difference between chick 1 & 2 - there is quite a difference in feather colour.
-Tail feather carriage. not very roo like
-No spur development (yet).. still a few months to go i'd say
-Has suspicious roo looking cape feathers growing on neck

and thats about all!!!

 

[chikadeedoodah]

Roos, I see saddle feathers on both.

 

[chicken boy sam]

I think both roos.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
Bringing in a new rooster into a bunch of hens is hardly ever deadly. If the rooster is immature the hens will attack him if he can't beat them. Yes mature hens will fight immature roosters. But If he is mature and shows dominance then the hens won't even try him.
If the new owners have any experience with chickens and their behavior then he will not become dinner, unless that is what they get him for. Or if he becomes a man fighter (which very few people put up with). Sometimes a rooster has to be overly aggressive with some hens as they can be persistent to run over him even if he is clearly more dominate, but eventually the over confidant hen will get the picture. I good rooster knows how to treat a hen and what punishment she can take without killing her. I have only ever had one mature rooster to ever kill a hen, but she was the only own in this pen and she would not give it up. After a week of him pulling out all of his tricks she still would not give and well she had a extremely quick end, but he has never done this before or after. But I have own over well over 200 chickens and this is the only occurrence of a mature rooter killing a hen and contemplation on to let him live or kill him....of course we let him live and he never done it again. I guess even chickens can be sexually frustrated.

 

[usschicago1]

Roos!!!!!!!!!!!!