Aggressive chicks, are they boys or girls???

[tabsmonsters]

I have 24- 4 1/2 week old assortment of chicks. I often see some of them facing off, kinda like roosters do to each other. Several have started getting nice pink combs so I am assuming those are boys, but some I have seen facing off don't have combs like that yet. I can't keep any of the boys, but I don't want to mistakenly get rid of the girls just yet. Is that a good sign that they are boys? I am going to try and post pics soon so the lovely people on this board

can help me sort the boys and girls. The breeds are as follows:

Pure and mix between welsummers and cuckoo marans

Pure and mix between Americana, Black Australorp, and Barred Rock

Thanks!

 

[Cetawin]

That is very normal. They are establishing the pecking order. Unless you see blood on someone, do not worry about it.

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

I have 3 BR girls that have drawn blood on my brahma roo and a girl a few weeks younger than them. They are about 6 weeks. They also attacked my big gold cuckoo marans. Needless to say I am getting rid of them.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Most all chicks will spar and chest bunt, so don't worry too much. It's like kittens play fighting. You probably won't be able to tell the roos at this age - perhaps by about seven weeks. You may want to post some pics and let people guess what you have. That's always fun!

 

[lovemychicks9]

Oh do not give up hope yet!!!!

I have 10- 6 & 1/2 week old girls and they are really into the chest bumping and "dirty stares " competition and I also thought it was aggresive behavior starting but it is just the pecking order rules starting. They are all just fine and it only lasted a few days and it is already about done with all of them and pretty much all know their places on the roosting poles and at the food dish. It should get better soon for you. Trudy

 

[gritsar]

As I've said in another post, aggressive behavior is a poor guage of who's a rooster. My two top hens are alot more assertive than my two roos.

 

[tabsmonsters]

Thanks! This is my first batch of chicks with so many (24) and I wasn't sure since I hadn't seen it before.