Black Australorp? Roo?

[SquawkFlock]

So this chick came out of a straight run of barred rocks. Obviously not. I've had pics of this one in another post about several of them but this one still has me stumped. Only one like it so nothing for comparison. Tell me what y'all think, please. Age now 6 weeks. (Last pic was a couple weeks ago)

 

[The Happster]

He's a boy. A handsome one, but a boy.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Looks like a Australorp cockerel.

The Barred Rock pictured is a boy too.

 

[SquawkFlock]

I knew my barred was a roo, got 2 of them. Guess that's still not too bad him being a roo. He's super sweet. And out of 12 only have 3 roos(I'm pretty sure). So if I have 27 hens, is 3 roos too many to keep? They've been raised together since birth and seem to get along great at least right now

 

[MysteryChicken]

I knew my barred was a roo, got 2 of them. Guess that's still not too bad him being a roo. He's super sweet. And out of 12 only have 3 roos(I'm pretty sure). So if I have 27 hens, is 3 roos too many to keep? They've been raised together since birth and seem to get along great at least right now

I say it all depends on the roosters. I keep an uneven number girls, & boys together, & don't have to many problems.

 

[Acre4Me]

So if I have 27 hens, is 3 roos too many to keep? They've been raised together since birth and seem to get along great at least right now

They might and they might not get along. One will become dominant. The other two will submit or not...if not, they will fight. They may team up and repeatedly mate the most docile (or slowest) pullets. This can lead to feather loss, and possibly injury caused by toe nails or spurs. You'll need to be observant of the male's behaviors beginning around 15 weeks old. They will try to mate pullets that aren't even laying yet, because they are young, without older hens or rooster to teach them chicken rules and manners. They will fight, and chase the pullets.

Some people pen up their males separately in a bachelor pen. They will go through an obnoxious teenage phase, so you may need to do this anyway. Some people butcher the extra ones around 16-20 weeks old, before they get tough. Or sell at auction or swap meet. Advertise on CL or in the feed store on the community board.

 

[SquawkFlock]

We had originally planned to butcher the extra roos which is why we went straight run, but now I was just thinking that 27 is a lot of ladies for just one stud...