Barnyard mix fighting & sexing help

[AshG]

Hello!
I decided to let my broody RSL hatch some chicks. I purchased fertilized eggs from a local farmer and 3 weeks later had 8 beautiful and colourful chicks. Fast forward 2 weeks and 2 days post hatch…. They are fighting! Like draw blood on the comb fighting. My biggest bully (who I for some reason thought was a hen) is the beige/brown hen in the pictures. I purchased some stop pick (my local farm store didnt have blukote). I just applied it and waiting to see if that helps. They have a small coop beside my existing flocks and a run beside the others as well. They get access to outside from 8am until the choose to return to their coop (usually around 9) I am thinking I have way more roos then hens if they are this aggressive but this is my first batch of chicks and my original flock of 4 were purchased are ready to lay pullets. I have some photos of the new clan and was hoping some of you may take a stab at their sexes. I can’t use typical methods to sex as they are all unknown mixes with unknown roosters. There is only one that i’m convinced and really hoping is a hen as she is the sweetest of the bunch and that is the black one(who also has 5 toes) But the eggs I hatched were rainbow. (The only eggs that didnt hatch were 1 brown, 1 chocolate and 2 white). Any help, tips or tricks would be appreciated!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Normally chicks aren’t very aggressive at a young age, even if there are lots of cockerels. They’re generally more interested in discovering the big exciting world! But if they see blood, they can become little monsters. Hopefully the no-pick stuff you got will help, I can’t see any alternative other than separating them. The cockerels I see are definitely this guy:

And maybe these few:

If I count them properly, you have three gray/barred, one buff, one black, and three white, correct? I think the black one and the white one with a black spot on her back are pullets. It’s too early to tell with most of the others.

 

[AshG]

Normally chicks aren’t very aggressive at a young age, even if there are lots of cockerels. They’re generally more interested in discovering the big exciting world! But if they see blood, they can become little monsters. Hopefully the no-pick stuff you got will help, I can’t see any alternative other than separating them. The cockerels I see are definitely this guy:
View attachment 3595375
And maybe these few:
View attachment 3595376View attachment 3595377
If I count them properly, you have three gray/barred, one buff, one black, and three white, correct? I think the black one and the white one with a black spot on her back are pullets. It’s too early to tell with most of the others.

Yes that count is correct. The first guy you circled had the biggest little comb since a few days old lol. Thank you very much for your input! I will wait a few more weeks and will post updated (and better) photos. The no pick seems to have helped. The brown boss is still being a bully but not nearly as bad.

 

[yukonsoul]

Just coming on to ask - as I have a little almost 2 week old crew of Silverrudd Blues and the only white one I feel has had a yellow comb since a day old.. is that a sign of being a Roo.. this early ?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Just coming on to ask - as I have a little almost 2 week old crew of Silverrudd Blues and the only white one I feel has had a yellow comb since a day old.. is that a sign of being a Roo.. this early ?

Not necessarily. It really depends on the breed and the individual. At two weeks it’s pretty rare to correctly identify chick genders. Cockerels and pullets look quite alike at that age, though a cockerel might have a pink tinge to his comb. I suggest you wait a few weeks and then post more photos of them.