4 weeks old - Rooster??

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! I had a hen that was "more developed" than the others. She is now the "top hen". Good luck!

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I'm hoping the "reserving judgment" group is right. I bought six Australorp pullets at Tractor Supply on 3/1. Immediately two of them started growing faster by far than the others. Those two have way bigger combs and are more "rooster" shaped. Still hoping that they will be hens, since this will be my early laying flock. Later when I have more chickens, I want a rooster or two, but not in my first six. I am feeding them organic (read very expensive) feed, which I wouldn't necessarily feed to roosters.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
This is true. Depending on the breed some hens can have huge combs. Comb isn't the only thing you look at; neither is wattles.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Quote:
This is true. Depending on the breed some hens can have huge combs. Comb isn't the only thing you look at; neither is wattles.

What do you look for? I'd love to know. Even Patricia Foreman, author of Chicken Tractor, City Chicks and other poultry books, couldn't tell us what to look for at our last poultry club meeting. She has been raising chickens for nearly 30 years and says she is so bad at sexing, she couldn't give any advice.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
This is true. Depending on the breed some hens can have huge combs. Comb isn't the only thing you look at; neither is wattles.

What do you look for? I'd love to know. Even Patricia Foreman, author of Chicken Tractor, City Chicks and other poultry books, couldn't tell us what to look for at our last poultry club meeting. She has been raising chickens for nearly 30 years and says she is so bad at sexing, she couldn't give any advice.

I look at several things, including the "stance" and physical things like the wing bows being less feathered.

Here's some info. that I've found quite helpful:

According to UC Davis Veterinary Care Program.
2. Physical Characteristics (4-6 weeks of age)
a. Comb – The cockerels comb is medium size and pinkish, the pullets is small and yellowish.
b. Legs – The cockerel’s legs are sturdy and long, the pullets are finer and shorter.
c. Tail – The cockerel’s tail is stumpy and curved, the pullets is longer and straight.
d. Back – The cockerel has a thin line of stub feathers down the center of his back, the pullet has more advanced feathering along the center of her back.
e. Side of neck, flank and crop – The feathering in the cockerel in these areas is poorly advanced, the pullets feathering in these areas is well advanced.
f. Wing bows – In the cockerel the wing bows are bare, in pullets the wing bows are covered with small feathers.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

This list from UC Davis changes things as to my reasons for thinking some of my pullets are cockerels, but when I combine the characteristics, it still looks like two cockerels and four pullets out of six supposed pullet chicks. Those two have larger pinkish combs carried higher on their head, and they have stumpy curved tails. They are five weeks old today, but they are completely feathered out, so I couldn't use that as a guide. I don't know how early cockerel chicks start to display rooster behavior, but the one who has the most cock features has been attacking my hand and protecting the other chicks since it was less than three weeks old.

The weather is supposed to be better tomorrow. I plan to get them outside where I can take some good pictures. We have had snow, sleet and high winds for the last week. I am sooooo ready for some spring weather.

Thanks for the list and what to look for.

 

[AZBootsie]

Quote:
What do you look for? I'd love to know. Even Patricia Foreman, author of Chicken Tractor, City Chicks and other poultry books, couldn't tell us what to look for at our last poultry club meeting. She has been raising chickens for nearly 30 years and says she is so bad at sexing, she couldn't give any advice.

I look at several things, including the "stance" and physical things like the wing bows being less feathered.

Here's some info. that I've found quite helpful:

According to UC Davis Veterinary Care Program.
2. Physical Characteristics (4-6 weeks of age)
a. Comb – The cockerels comb is medium size and pinkish, the pullets is small and yellowish.
b. Legs – The cockerel’s legs are sturdy and long, the pullets are finer and shorter.
c. Tail – The cockerel’s tail is stumpy and curved, the pullets is longer and straight.
d. Back – The cockerel has a thin line of stub feathers down the center of his back, the pullet has more advanced feathering along the center of her back.
e. Side of neck, flank and crop – The feathering in the cockerel in these areas is poorly advanced, the pullets feathering in these areas is well advanced.
f. Wing bows – In the cockerel the wing bows are bare, in pullets the wing bows are covered with small feathers.

Thank you!! This is a great list.


Where are the "Wing Bows"??

 

[gritsar]

The wing bows are what you might see as the shoulders. Look at the chick from above, the top of their wings when resting naturally against the body are rounded, like an archer's bow.

 

[AZBootsie]

Quote:
Thank you!! Going to look at my chicks and see if that changes any of my guesses.

 

[NYRIR]

I have very limited experience but it sure looks like a roo to me

sorry....hope I'm wrong