3 Aggressive Chickies!

[3for3]

We have 3 nearly-two-week-old chicks that were never claimed to be pullets, but we assumed so, getting them from the local feed store (with the exception of the "margin of error"). Two are Dixie Rainbows and one is a Buff Orpington. One Dixie (named Kava) is easily at least twice as big as the other two chicks, though she is generally calm unless she gets too warm, then she starts attacking the others. The other Dixie (unnamed) is the smallest of the three, but the sharpest. She has gotten to and eaten every bug we have dropped into the brooder before the rest of them. The Buff (named Dublin) is feathering out faster than the others, and can tend to be aggressive. They all periodically attack each other (jumping in the air and trying to "spur" each other). Today we turned the light off when they started up, and they calmed down but got cold, so it went back on.

I know there are no surefire ways to tell 100% until they lay an egg, but is this typical young pullet behavior, or should we consider ourselves Lotto winners with 3 roosters?

Will try to post pictures shortly! Thanks

 

[3for3]

Left to Right:
Unnamed Dixie Rainbow, Kava (Dixie Rainbow), Dublin (Buff Orpington)

They all stopped and posed when I started taking pictures!

 

[donrae]

The bigger one is just a week or so older than the others, that's why it's so much larger. Nothing's screaming rooster at this point, but it's still really too early to say. Pullets can be just as mean to each other as roosters, so that's not really an indicator.

 

[3for3]

They were all hatched on March 19th..

ETA Kava the bigger one has less feathers than the other two, though they were all hatched the 19th. (We got them the 20th).

 

[3for3]

An update.. the two Dixies have been stolen away by raccoons in the night. Only the buff (Dublin) remains at the moment. We are in the process of rebuilding our coop and run to be more coon and possum proof, and then plan to pick up a few more pullets from a neighbor. RIP Kava and Schnell!