Blue Laced Red Wyandotte THREAD!

[mhamilton]

what causes comb and wattles growth in young chicks? i have two roosters who both showed sign of their sex at around 3 weeks. but now at 6 weeks, one's comb and wattles look amazing and the others is much smaller. the smaller one is more loving to me, and more social with the other chicks. the bigger one is harder to catch, and stays on the fringe of activity. is it just hormones or more complicated like genetics? I'll try for pictures later, the big boy is hard to catch.
both were from the same hatch. from a private party, not from a hatchery.

 

[Flowerbh]

what causes comb and wattles growth in young chicks? i have two roosters who both showed sign of their sex at around 3 weeks. but now at 6 weeks, one's comb and wattles look amazing and the others is much smaller. the smaller one is more loving to me, and more social with the other chicks. the bigger one is harder to catch, and stays on the fringe of activity. is it just hormones or more complicated like genetics? I'll try for pictures later, the big boy is hard to catch.
both were from the same hatch. from a private party, not from a hatchery.

IMO, it can be both. Plus, I have heard that some chickens will grow into their "roles". Like, some female hens can grow bigger combs if there was a rooster that died and there is no replacement. My head hen started mounting the other females when our rooster died...then went on to lay eggs everyday. We now have another rooster so that has stopped. But, perhaps that one roo is letting the other take the lead rooster "role" .

 

[mhamilton]

IMO, it can be both.  Plus, I have heard that some chickens will grow into their "roles".  Like, some female hens can grow bigger combs if there was a rooster that died and there is no replacement.  My head hen started mounting the other females when our rooster died...then went on to lay eggs everyday.  We now have another rooster so that has stopped.  But, perhaps that one roo is letting the other take the lead rooster "role" .

i believed that. the bigger one seems more dominant, with the pullets and with the smaller roo. they have little fights, and the smaller one always and very quickly submits. hopefully he stays submissive and doesn't challenge and become an issue. he's my favorite. when i pick him up he melts and coo's like he's singing to me.

 

[delisha]

I just wanted to give some words to think about cuddling and loving up cockerels. It is wonderful to love your cockerels, it is not wonderful to loveeeeeeeeeeee your cockerels. They grow into roosters. With all the cuddling you are training them to think of you as a litter mate, not an alpha. And if you think about it, how does a rooster prove its dominance of a littler mate? They will loose respect and be confused on the roles you have assigned them. Do not be surprised if one day they turn and attack to show authority. It is the way of nature, and the way they have been trained. Some cockerels stay submissive threw all of the loving and cuddling, but those are very rare. Most horror story's of roosters attacking children have been favorite family pets. Heritage Wyandottes/Orpingtons are pretty layed back and rarely attack, however, they also can be aggressive and it is something to consider. Many Wyandottes are bred with leghorn to improve egg production at hatchery's. They seem to be more aggressive.

 

[Flowerbh]

I just wanted to give some words to think about cuddling and loving up cockerels. It is wonderful to love your cockerels, it is not wonderful to loveeeeeeeeeeee your cockerels. They grow into roosters. With all the cuddling you are training them to think of you as a litter mate, not an alpha. And if you think about it, how does a rooster prove its dominance of a littler mate? They will loose respect and be confused on the roles you have assigned them. Do not be surprised if one day they turn and attack to show authority. It is the way of nature, and the way they have been trained. Some cockerels stay submissive threw all of the loving and cuddling, but those are very rare. Most horror story's of roosters attacking children have been favorite family pets. Heritage Wyandottes/Orpingtons are pretty layed back and rarely attack, however, they also can be aggressive and it is something to consider. Many Wyandottes are bred with leghorn to improve egg production at hatchery's. They seem to be more aggressive.

X2 I agree!

I have read so many stories about this and it seems to be as delisha says. We give our rooster treats which he loves and looks to us more as caretakers than rivals/litter mates. We have never had any problems so far. Keep a healthy respect for each other. The few times my rooster even looked at me funny when I had to pick up a hen to look at, I stood my ground and the rooster never does anything more than observe.

 

[mhamilton]

I understand what your saying, making sure the rooster doesn't try to assert dominance over people. I have kids so the last thing i need is a problem.
However, with all the many animals I've had, i am good at keeping my place as head honcho. I've even worked with other animals, not mine, that had problems with aggression, and helped them. However, I've heard an aggressive rooster is a tasty rooster. Even though they are pets, they all will someday feed us.

 

[Mrs Hutcherson]

How do I post pics on here? I'm using a cell phone, if that makes a difference. I'm not very good at the forum thing..... Please help!

 

[Mrs Hutcherson]

Anybody able to tell roo/pullet? Or too young? 3 1/2 weeks Please and thank you

 

[Mrs Hutcherson]

Roo or pullet?

 

[ki4got]

Update photo of my now 14 week old BLRW roo. He still has baby fuzz! He makes no noise....no peeps, no clucking, no crowing. I still haven't named him...thought to name him Pokie because he is so slow feathering, but that is not very manly. I guess he will grow a name eventually.

manly names? like Weeble is a good one? LOL

my EE roo, Weeble. he's 1/4 blrw, 1/4 silkie and 1/2 blue ameraucana, from what I've figured out. LOL
hatched from a blue egg and seems to pass on his genes frequently. most of the mutts I've hatched out lately can be traced back to him. go figure. 8 or 9 roos all ranging together, his 'roo juice' seems the most potent. LOL
chicks can be id'd by either their crest, dark legs or feathered legs, for the most part.


just yesterday I hatched out 3 eggs from known hens - 1 dorking, 1 blrw, and 1 ee... they are - a weeble-dork (5 toes and feathered shanks), a weeble-dotte (dark legs) and an oxymoron. aka 'purebred' easter egger (crested). LOL.