Are these hens or roosters?

[katycouts]

 

[fluffycrow]

Cockerels

 

[WingItRanch]

How old? The second one pictured has male specific coloring so yes, hes a cockerel. I suspect the first one is also a cockerel because it looks like he has pointy hackles but it's hard to tell in photos with barred chickens. Age will help confirm.

 

[LoveMyPeepers]

How old? The second one pictured has male specific coloring so yes, hes a cockerel. I suspect the first one is also a cockerel because it looks like he has pointy hackles but it's hard to tell in photos with barred chickens. Age will help confirm.

Question. I saw your reply and was wondering how you knew they were roosters? I have ten, 3 week old chicks that we hatched, and I think at least 2 are roosters, but I don't know how to tell for sure. any tips?

 

[Luckyhen006]

I'm gonna vote cockerels.

 

[WingItRanch]

Question. I saw your reply and was wondering how you knew they were roosters? I have ten, 3 week old chicks that we hatched, and I think at least 2 are roosters, but I don't know how to tell for sure. any tips?

3 weeks old is pretty young but let's use the Original Poster's birds as an example. Bright red combs are typically only in males until the females get close to Point of Lay. So if these chickens are younger than... maybe 17 weeks give or take?.. then they're most likely cockerels.

Also, in thr first picture, zoom into the back of the neck. Do you see how the feathers appear to be pointy and lay differently than the smooth round feathers of a female? Those pointy feathers are male-specific. As they age, they'll also have pointy shiny feathers develop over the saddle area.

Also, in the 2nd bird, that bright red/orange coloring popping up on the wings is only in males.

 

[LoveMyPeepers]

3 weeks old is pretty young but let's use the Original Poster's birds as an example. Bright red combs are typically only in males until the females get close to Point of Lay. So if these chickens are younger than... maybe 17 weeks give or take?.. then they're most likely cockerels.

Also, in thr first picture, zoom into the back of the neck. Do you see how the feathers appear to be pointy and lay differently than the smooth round feathers of a female? Those pointy feathers are male-specific. As they age, they'll also have pointy shiny feathers develop over the saddle area.

Also, in the 2nd bird, that bright red/orange coloring popping up on the wings is only in males.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[WingItRanch]

Thanks for the tips!

When your kiddos are fully feathered (6 weeks or older), you should create your own thread to ask others to help determine sex. A lot of us enjoy it.

 

[LoveMyPeepers]

Thanks, I probably will!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Yep, those two are definitely boys.