BR rooster??

[Kate3017]

Hi all, I ordered 16 day olds from TSC 3 weeks ago (all pullets) but I think I may have a rooster. This BR is considerably lighter then the 4 others I have and the combs are starting to show some red. I know it's not even 4 weeks old yet but I'm just wondering if I'm right. I will not get rim of it if it is a rooster (i've grown attached) but I also don't want baby chicks. Sorry if I sound stupid but how does the all this work? I got the chicks only to eat the eggs they produce. If the eggs are fertilized can you prevent chicks and still eat the eggs? This is all new to me. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Fred's Hens]

You'll only make chicks if a) a hen goes broody and you allow her to sit on the eggs. That isn't very likely with hatchery stock. Broodiness is mostly bred out of them. or 2) you place fertile eggs in an incubator. So, if you don't incubate by either natural or artificial means, you'll never have chicks.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Oh, and most of us here on BYC eat fertile eggs. The "spot" is so incredibly small, it would take a trained eye, focused in the right light to even see it. No worries. Lots and lots of organic eggs sold in better super markets are fertile. It's just a speck. At 6 weeks, if the comb is pretty pink and little red wattles sprout from under the chin? Yup. It's a cockerel.

 

[CracklesIsACrow]

I've had chickens for 4 years, its normal not to know.
WEll if you want to hurry and find out if it's a rooster then there are some ways you can test it.
#1 Grab the chick by its feet and dangle it upside down for a bit, don't worry it won't hurt the chick,
If the chick fights back then it is a boy, if it doesn't then a girl.

If you don't care that much just wait and see if he crows.
And all chickens get a red comb before the others it just means there growing faster then the other chicks, hope you found this helpful!

 

[juliechick]

Yes. the chick is a rooster. BR Rooster chicks have much lighter looking barring and I can see the comb and wattles developing.

Sorry to the other poster, but the thing about dangling the chicks is an old wives tale.

Hi all, I ordered 16 day olds from TSC 3 weeks ago (all pullets) but I think I may have a rooster. This BR is considerably lighter then the 4 others I have and the combs are starting to show some red. I know it's not even 4 weeks old yet but I'm just wondering if I'm right. I will not get rim of it if it is a rooster (i've grown attached) but I also don't want baby chicks. Sorry if I sound stupid but how does the all this work? I got the chicks only to eat the eggs they produce. If the eggs are fertilized can you prevent chicks and still eat the eggs? This is all new to me. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[CracklesIsACrow]

Oh I'm sorry.

 

[Kate3017]

Thanks for the information.
I was wanting to get a rooster eventually but didn't know how everything worked when it came to the fertile eggs. Now that I know I'm actually excited to possibly have one. Thanks again!

 

[CluckinBumpkin]

From my experience with my BR's I could have swore 2 of them were going to be roosters because their combs grew faster and turned red before the others. About a week or so later, the rest caught up to those 2 'early bloomers' so to say and ALL of my (now 6mo) BR are pullets. I hate the waiting game, but i'm learning its the best method

 

[Kate3017]

But we're their colour the same or quite a bit lighter like mine? I really don't mind having a roo, I'm actually excited to have one possibly. I hate the waiting game...lol
Thanks for your reply.

 

[CracklesIsACrow]

I have four roosters, and they started getting mean to each other when we had to coop them up in a small pen for a week, sad to say, one of them gets pecked on regularly.