bummed out, they're nearly all roos

[sabianshepherds]

Spent months raising this flock, just to hear another crowing birds day before yesterday. I've been trying to leave them be, not harassing them about eggs. And it's been pouring, so they've been fed, watered and in the coop. Well I found another roo, and took another look at them all, and the youngins' have hackle feathers now! so 5 of my 9 birds are roos. So I'm down from 15 birds to 4

I want to order more barred rock, but i don't want to raise chicks in the winter AHHHHH!

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

I'm sorry.

 

[aoxa]

Post some pictures?

 

[Beekissed]

Why didn't you order female chicks? It makes life so much simpler and you don't waste your money buying and raising something you don't want.

ETA: Old minds....whaddya gonna do?

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
When you buy straight run it is a 50/50 chance of getting roos.

 

[Beekissed]

Yeah...I was thinking "order all females" but was writing straight run.....

I'll edit. My mind sometimes.....

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
I figured you made a typo

 

[seminolewind]

A few people told me that female BR's have dark shading on the fronts of their legs. Any of your (roos?)

 

[Fred's Hens]

Barred Rocks are reasonably easy to sex at hatch, even by lay folks.

I'd plead with those who do not want roos, or cannot have roos, please, please do not buy straight run chicks.

 

[sabianshepherds]

I didn't order any of these birds from a hatchery personally.

The first set I got from a friend and hatched for my class.


The second ones I got from a guy who ordered them from Meyers, and had 300 plus chicks that were supposed to be pullets. They were 6 weeks old when I got them.

I got a few more from a guy I got some rabbits from, at 6 weeks as well, so it's the sexed ones from Meyers and the ones I got from that guy that were the roos.

The wash on the feet is not definitive. None of my Barred rocks had distinguishable washes on their legs. Maybe that's true for heritage show birds, but for hatchery birds, from the 300 I saw at this guys house, they weren't even as yellow as the one I got from my friends barn hatch.