Arizona Chickens

[SonoranChick]

@SonoranChick how old were they when you put them outside? I'm wondering when I should encourage them to roost for bed. They don't have any older chickens to learn from.

They were 6 weeks. I agree with @FeatherPugs - their instincts will kick in and they will be roosting in no time. Mine didn't have any other chickens to learn from either, they just naturally wanted to go up to the highest part of the coop to sleep, which was the roost.

 

[SonoranChick]

A few days ago I was sure all of my chicks were pullets. Now I'm convinced at least half of them are cockerels. This is stressful! Yesterday I noticed that Agatha's comb and wattles were getting a little pink. Was she just flushed from the excitement of treats? Or is he a rooster? But if Agatha is a cockerel, then surely Ellie, my other Buff Orpington, is also a cockerel, because her legs are thicker than Agatha's but they're essentially identical. And I was already suspicious of Blue, my Blue Orp, and her wattles were looking a little bigger this morning, but no color. And two of the Australorps had pink looking combs this morning. All three have looked incredibly similar - I can't tell them apart aside from their leg bands. So i'm guessing they're all the same sex. My Austra White has always been huge and heavy compared to the othe chicks, with a big comb, but hopefully that's just because she's part Leghorn? And one of my Easter Eggers has always been much bigger than the other EE, but hopefully it's just because they have drastically different parents?? They're probably all boys except my runt Amelia. It's just going to be me and Amelia. Gahhhhh I hate this. I know they're going to be what they're going to be but this is suuuuper stressful. I don't want to have invested so much time and money and effort into a bunch of cockerels I can't keep. I definitely see the appeal of buying point of lay pullets...

Try not to stress! I have never heard of MyPetChicken getting it wrong like that, they wouldn't be able to afford to guarantee and offer full refunds/replacements if they were that bad at sexing chickies. The combs and waddles will go red when they are excited. I would be surprised if any of them were cockerels to be honest. It's so hard to tell when they start maturing, and they all mature at different rates. I went through the same thing, I was sure a few of mine were boys at about 5-6 weeks, but luckily I was wrong!

 

[meetthebubus]

@Geranium

You are gonna drive yourself crazy but I have been there I used to be afraid that rambita was a boy bc her crest grew faster than her sisters usually you can tell soon if not already, here is marshmellow about 5 weeks at the time and you can see the big comb compared to the girls

You can see the difference and in the second pic all are girls but look closely and some have pinker combs or bigger than others... etc. Hugs

 

[SonoranChick]

Ok speaking of sexing chickens, has anyone seen the Sanderson Farms commercials with the white leghorn who talks? There's one where he's in a restaurant, and another where he's freezing cold conversing with some penguins. They make his voice very clearly the voice of a man. But, I'm a chicken nerd, so I just have to say...That is clearly a female white leghorn! That is a HEN! Looks identical to my Lady (although her comb and waddles are even bigger!) But most will assume all leghorns are males I guess, due to those fancy big combs. It cracks me up. So much misconception out there when it comes to chickens.

 

[meetthebubus]

@FeatherPugs sorry to hear of your accident all ok? I'm still trying to heal myself good luck with car buying it really sucks ever since cash for clunkers happened...

 

[Michelle Guynn]

Think of me sexing silkies.

 

[BlueBaby]

Ok speaking of sexing chickens, has anyone seen the Sanderson Farms commercials with the white leghorn who talks? There's one where he's in a restaurant, and another where he's freezing cold conversing with some penguins. They make his voice very clearly the voice of a man. But, I'm a chicken nerd, so I just have to say...That is clearly a female white leghorn! That is a HEN! Looks identical to my Lady (although her comb and waddles are even bigger!) But most will assume all leghorns are males I guess, due to those fancy big combs. It cracks me up. So much misconception out there when it comes to chickens.

Sure, why not? After all, Lassie was a boy!

 

[Sodell]

So did anyone besides me get rained out and flooded this weekend. Coops are full of mud already and expecting more rain tonight. What does everyone do. I let them free range when I’m home but now I’m back to work and their cooped up not sure. My two month old chicks have mud everywhere in their coop. Yeaterday I put dry dirt in and now it’s mud again! A little worried about them.

 

[BlueBaby]

So did anyone besides me get rained out and flooded this weekend. Coops are full of mud already and expecting more rain tonight. What does everyone do. I let them free range when I’m home but now I’m back to work and their cooped up not sure. My two month old chicks have mud everywhere in their coop. Yeaterday I put dry dirt in and now it’s mud again! A little worried about them.

My coop wasn't muddy, but a part of my run was. It's just about dry again, though. I just moved 4 more of my chick's out into my grow out pen today while my back was feeling better.

 

[BlueBaby]

@FeatherPugs Sorry to read about your accident. Is everyone ok over there? Have you found a new vehicle yet?