8 Week Old Breed and Gender Help Please!

[Lulu1218]

I was told that the 12 chicks I got from a local farmer straight run were mixed breeds. I think I have figured out which ones are roosters. Any guesses on breeds and gender are greatly appreciated! I am worried that I have more roosters than I need. Any suggestions on which rooster(s) to keep? Also, the farmer told me that the white chickens will lay white eggs and the black and brown ones will lay brown eggs. Any truth to this?

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[shmccarthy]

1 is a barred rock, I'm thinking a roo
2 I'm unsure of the breed but it is a pullet
3 I'm unsure of the breed and the picture is kind of hard to tell but I'm pretty sure it's a pullet
4 is for sure a barred rock roo
5 is also a rooster and seems to be a red breed, probably a red sex link
6 is the same as 5
7 is also a red breed but that one is a pullet
8 seems to be a barred rock but the coloration seems off, maybe it's a cross breed and that one is a roo
9 looks like a brahma and seems to be a rooster
10 is a black sex link pullet
11 is a barred rock possible roo
12 I'm unsure about the breed but it looks like a roo to me
Hope that helps

 

[Lulu1218]

Oh wow! I didn't think there were that many roosters! I am sure that #5,6&8 are roosters but the others combs and wattles have me confused. I am pretty positive that #2,3,7&10 are pullets. Any other guesses? I don't need 8 roosters!

 

[TJsTwinzz]

There is not necessarily any truth to what the farmer said about the egg color. If a hen has a red earlobe, it will lay brown eggs. If it has a white earlobe, it will lay white eggs. You won't be having any white eggs.
1. Barred Rock, I'm thinking hen.
2. Think it's a pullet, maybe a Leghorn or Cornish?
3. Most definitely a mixed breed, but I'm not sure as to roo or hen.
4. Barred Rock or Cochin, thinking roo, but I can't see his comb well.
5&6. Roos, probably Red Sexlink.
7. Pullet, looks like a RIR or Red Sexlink.
8. Roo. He's pretty, maybe a Rock.
9. Could be either a hen or a roo. Mixed breed.
10. I had a hen like this once. I wasn't sure what her breed was. This one looks like a hen, though.
11. Barred Rock pullet. Pretty certain.
12. Looks like an Australorp pullet to me.

 

[Lulu1218]

There is a big difference between the two replies. Thanks for the input from you both. I am really more concerned with the sex than the breeds. Any other guesses? I am still stumped.

 

[Lulu1218]

Is there a chance that at 8 weeks the sex is still not evident?

 

[shmccarthy]

I have 6.5 week old chickens and the ones that are roosters are very distinct. If they're already starting to get pink on their combs, you more likely than not have a rooster.

 

[Lulu1218]

At 4 weeks I had 3 that had a lot of red in their combs but the others were still yellow. That is why I thought they were for sure roosters. Their combs are larger and redder now (4 weeks later) while a few of the other ones combs have turned pink, but are not large. Does pink combs at 8 weeks scream rooster?

 

[shmccarthy]

From the chickens I've raised, some develop pink combs quicker than others. I raised 10 chickens last year and 40 this year. 4 last year were roosters and 6 were hens. By 8 weeks, I was positive which ones were roosters not only by the larger pink combs but by how they were acting. They were play fighting and acting a lot more dominant than the pullers. Eventually the hens do get red combs just not nearly as quick. I have 5.5 week old and younger bantams right now and I can tell which ones are the roosters already. You just have to watch them.

 

[Lulu1218]

I guess I will give them a few more weeks and see if some of the questionable ones start crowing. I do not plan on having more than two roosters. I hate that I will have to go through the whole process again to get more hens. I may just invest in some sexed pullets and skip all of the guess work.