All 3 'girls' were accidental roosters...how did this slip by me?

[chick4chix]

Quote:
Sorry to hear you are giving up. I once bought 8 unsexed day old chicks hoping to get at least half girls- I ended up with 7 roos! They didn't show up either until 6.5 months of age when they started getting glorious iridescent green tail feathers and started a strangled crowing sound. They had all gotten along fine just part of the flock - even with one girl in there. Late bloomers:-(
I hope you give chickens a try again- I now have 6 pullets all laying eggs for me and they are like my pets.When you feel ready again- go to www.mypetchicken.com- you can buy as few as 3 and specify only females. Good Luck

 

[AnnetteinCA]

I got 3 roosters out of a group of 5 when I was supposed to receive 5 girls! Thanks, mypetchicken!

 

[New2Peeps]

I hand picked 2 babies out of the sexed pullet bin at the feed store. And they were both roosters. It is discouraging to spend all the time and effort to raise them for 8 weeks and then discover that they were not sexed correctly. I think next year I will buy started pullets.

 

[lauralou]

Really, the ease of recognizing roosters early on is in the comparison. If you don't have any girls, then you can't see that there are a few that look different.

I am amazed that they never crowed until 7 months. And no fighting is pretty odd, too. My little girls fight to establish the pecking order. These must have been very nice roosters. Very pleasant to have around....

That certainly never happens for me. The little devils start to become extremely annoying at about 4 months old.

At any rate, I'm so sorry for your disappointment! I would have been crushed if that had happened to me when I got my first chickens.

 

[Mahonri]

shucks... wish you wouldn't have given up.

Next time get a BIGGER coop and then buy them sexed from a place like My Pet Chicken.

 

[msjones]

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I'm guessing they weren't acting like boys since there were no girls around. No reason to fight or crow, I suppose. If there'd just been one hen I'm sure we would have known much, much sooner. But these boys just went around in a happy trio. Peaceful and quiet and mellow.

There really was no indication whatsoever that they may be roosters until last Wednesday when the sun came up and we heard their sorry attempt at a crow. Even then we really didn't think "roosters!" since it was such a lame crow. We thought it was just some female noise we hadn't heard before. And I was sure there were no eggs since I hadn't lit the coop and it has been an especially dark fall -- heavy cloud cover for the past month or so.

Live and learn, I suppose.

My relatives are having a good laugh over this. That's okay with me. It is pretty funny that I brought home 3 roosters.

 

[IggiMom]

I have had several hens who morphed into roos at about 20 weeks.

Why don't you just get some nice adult hens?

I actually gave away one of these roos to a neighbor, and guess what, two days later, there he was. Scratching around and pretending to be a hen, but ha HA, I know your secret now. He is a nice rooster, too, an Americauna, white with orange stripes all over, and seems to be quiet an rather non violent. But he is still a rooster and he doesn't lay eggs.

I have GOT to grit my teeth and butcher some of the guys as my feed costs are going through the ceiling.

Catherine

 

[cluck-addict]

I have a blue andelusian in a flock of 33..... I still don't know about "her." She is 26 weeks today. I have 2 other roosters in my flock. But blue doesn't crow but doesn't lay eggs yet either. She has no tendancies towards either gender. No spurs but larger comb and waddles than I would have expected. Its so odd.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Good luck next time. THat math problem sounds like fun!

 

[The Zoo]

For those of us with small backyard flocks/pet chickens it's SO sad to get an accidental roo (I got one this year) and I can't imagine getting 3 - I'd be pretty darn upset. Especially after all the effort and affection that goes into raising them!

That said, I think you should give it another go next year - I adore my 3 girls and love having them. Maybe you can buy sex-links so you know for sure you're getting ladies. I'm thinking of that myself - I don't want to have to go through having to rehome another boy.

 

[greathorse]

Not sure I understand the term accidental roo. If sexed pullets were purchased and three of them turned out to be roosters it is either an extremely rare twist of fate or mistake at the hatchery. I am sure mistakes can happen, one could reach into the wrong box and get roosters instead of pullets. If this was three straight run chicks either hatched or purchased, I will let the mathemetician run the odds, but seems like it would not be all that rare to get three roosters.

In any case it is difficult to tell some breeds hens from Roosters without a lot of experience. Sorry it did not go well. Most folks thoroughly enjoy their birds.