All BLACK chicks...what sex are they?

[HonaHelp]

first time chicken people...got pets..that hopefully will give us a few eggs....
loved the svart hona...bought 4 ...
what sex might they be? 8 weeks old now.....no color to help identify male or female.....Thanks

 

[Gray Farms]

looks like 3 cockerels and 1 pullet

 

[HonaHelp]

sugar! I was thinking that is what we have, but--was really hoping it was not so....
like many articles I have read where people just hold onto that hope, until it crows in their face....

these birds are curious..and the largest and smallest...want held like puppies all the time..
they fly right to you when the coop door is opened...but 3 roosters and one hen is not sensible...

Thanks for the input

 

[Gray Farms]

Not the news you wanted I know but I think your going to have 3 crowers.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Agreed 3 boys & 1 girl.

They might even start trying to mate before they crow. You won't be able to deny it then either.

Do you have plans to keep any of the boys? If so... I highly recommend you do NOT hold them and coddle them! Boys that are coddled as young cockerels often become giant nightmares to their keepers. What we see as friendly and building trust, the cockerel sees as he doesn't have to "fear" us.... however in the chicken world, fear equates to respect. If they fear you they will respect your space. There is a couple of great threads with information regarding how to treat/train a cockerel you plan on keeping in order to make it a great experience.

Best wishes!

 

[dheltzel]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Agreed 3 boys & 1 girl.

They might even start trying to mate before they crow. You won't be able to deny it then either.

Do you have plans to keep any of the boys? If so... I highly recommend you do NOT hold them and coddle them! Boys that are coddled as young cockerels often become giant nightmares to their keepers. What we see as friendly and building trust, the cockerel sees as he doesn't have to "fear" us.... however in the chicken world, fear equates to respect. If they fear you they will respect your space. There is a couple of great threads with information regarding how to treat/train a cockerel you plan on keeping in order to make it a great experience.

Best wishes!

That has not been my experience. The calmest, nicest roos I ever had were named and coddled as chicks. Kids taught them to perch on their shoulders and come when called. There were 3 roos and I kept 2 as breeders. A year later, when I was treating the flock for lice, I had to catch each of their hens, treat them, then stuff them into a carrier. They were obviously upset by their females disappearing, but they never tried to attack or spur me at all. When I finally caught them to treat them, they were as docile as the hens in submitting to treatment. They were Rhodebars, not a small breed, and could have really put the hurt on me if they wanted to.

I'm not saying your experience did not happen, just that not all (or even many) roos become meaner if they were tamed as chicks.

 

[HonaHelp]

Oh my gosh...I did not know that about the boys.
We researched caring for the chicks..and what we'd need to keep them healthy as they matured---
..before we ever got them, but---- oh dear..
nice to know that.. we have more research to do.....
Thanks

 

[EggSighted4Life]

That has not been my experience. The calmest, nicest roos I ever had were named and coddled as chicks. Kids taught them to perch on their shoulders and come when called. There were 3 roos and I kept 2 as breeders. A year later, when I was treating the flock for lice, I had to catch each of their hens, treat them, then stuff them into a carrier. They were obviously upset by their females disappearing, but they never tried to attack or spur me at all. When I finally caught them to treat them, they were as docile as the hens in submitting to treatment. They were Rhodebars, not a small breed, and could have really put the hurt on me if they wanted to.

I'm not saying your experience did not happen, just that not all (or even many) roos become meaner if they were tamed as chicks.

Hey, that's awesome that you had friendlies remain friendly!

I actually like the boys more than the girls a lot of times.

My friendly boy doesn't attack when I am going after the girls but rather when my back is turned and they are enjoying treats, He even tried to pull a girl out of my lap once after mating age hit. His recent decision to take me on is likely because he is the final surviving boy and I am the last competition for his ladies. He was not very high in the pecking order of boys. So he might be feeling his Wheaties. Either way, I am setting the pecking order again!

Often times it is actually confidence that we are seeing and mistaken as friendliness. Not disagreeing with you either, just sharing my experience....

Next time you have to catch your birds for treatments.... maybe wait until they go to roost after dark and use a flash light. All chickens are fairly calm and docile at that time and NO chasing needed. My girls are going to be in for a rude awakening because my boy will duck away while they get eaten alive, if I were a predator in the coop. Didn't try to peck me once when I was in there treating the other night.

But that may change with a little more maturity, I hope.

And definitely not all will act the same or have the same experience. After raising more than 50 birds of different genders and breeds... one thing I know for a fact is that no matter what the tendency may be for that breed/gender, every single one of them is an individual!

So THE BEST POST I HAVE SEEN REGARDING ROOSTERS.......

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1149551/aggressive-rooster/20

You won't go wrong by following the suggestions in the first post on that page and there is one more post copied within the next page or two of that thread, also advice from Beekissed that is great info!

Oh my gosh...I did not know that about the boys.
We researched caring for the chicks..and what we'd need to keep them healthy as they matured---
..before we ever got them, but---- oh dear..
nice to know that.. we have more research to do.....
Thanks

I've been raising chickens for about 6 years now... and am barely scratching the surface. The research never stops. The flock is such a dynamic ever changing organism and that means I must constantly learn and adjust with it. I enjoy the challenge and the learning... it makes for an exciting hobby! Beware of chicken math!

For me 3 turned into 48.

Also, If you have zero chicken experience, I might consider not keeping a cockerel for a while and just getting familiar with the girls and enjoying them. Once the boy reaches mating age, he will NOT take no for an answer and the girls will usually scream bloody murder. At least until the boys get to the stage where they start to learn some manners, where they dance and treat call. But in the beginning they are raging hormone filled teen boys who WILL take advantage of any pullet they can get their grubby little claws on.

I don't mean to sound discouraging. I love roosters! That link up there should be helpful.

 

[HonaHelp]

3 turned into 48?!! Holy Cow. LOL
I can see that....I've already been browsing different breeds.....and these first ones are not raised up yet.
I need to step back and sit down.

I have been researching roosters....and am pretty sure we will not venture there, just yet.
We have no interest in breeding at this time...and
I appreciate the advice.
The breeder bought back two of the cockerels today...and we have 2 chicks left.
One who I've been told is a late blooming cockerel, but he is the smallest--and --at least the one pullet is not lonely while we wait.
The breeder is going to get us some pullets....we just have to wait a few months.
She will eventually end up with the 3rd bird too no doubt-- if he is a cockerel.

The next time we get chickens we will get the sex linked ones I guess
I do not want to go through this again...if it can be helped.

 

[drumstick diva]

at least you got 1 pullet and she took the males back. They were all nice looking birds though. I guess it would be extra hard when they are all black, to sex them.