7 week old Speckled Sussex..are they roos?

[chelleigh]

I am excited to have some gentlemen around and glad to hear that I can very likely keep both my boys. This flock is my first that I raised from day old chicks, so I am particularly attached to this bunch. Both roo candidates have very sweet personalities and don't appear thus far to be too aggressive so here's hoping for some flock harmony. One of them has become attached to me in the last week, running directly for me anytime I am in sight.

Are you sure about their age? They look older than 7 weeks to me. My SS didn't show that sort of speckling in her baby feathers. It wasn't until after her big juvie molt (sometime between 10 and 16 weeks) that she did. FWIW, my pullet also had some pretty substantial and pink wattles/comb early on. I was told at 16 weeks that she was a cockerel based on that. She wasn't.

They hatched on August 20th so it looks like I am off by a week. That means they are 8 weeks, going on 9 weeks. Time goes by so fast.
I guess I will have to wait till the rooster crows to be absolutely sure.

As others have said yep both roos. But I just wanted to say I have a SS named Mable too.

Looks like my Mable may be a Mack now.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ESofVA]

The one roo I have has always had quite a few speckles and has gotten even more! He goes in the freezer this weekend as SS is one of the breeds that I decided not to keep.

 

[chelleigh]

UPDATE: Mona was killed by a predator before we could fully determine if she was a he. Mable ended up being a pullet.

 

[debid]

Sorry to hear about Mona. I'm glad you updated, though, because your Mable is a perfect example of why it is just plain HARD to judge this breed prior to sexual maturity.