Can't tell if I have 1 or more roosters...help!

[meags163]

I have 5 chickens, 1 leghorn and 4 rhode island reds. The leghorn is definitely a hen as she just started laying white eggs. I know I have at least one rooster from all the crowing that's been going on. I'm afraid though that 3 out of 4 of my RIRs are roosters....I have chickens for the eggs not the crowing. I've attached some pictures that aren't too good but the best I could get. I think the last RIR pictured is a hen, but I can't be sure about the others. Even when I look online at pictures of RIR hens v. roosters, I can barely tell the difference. Can anyone offer any tips on how to tell?

I bought the RIRs when they were pullets, about 8 weeks old. Shouldn't the seller have been able to easily sex them? I will be very unhappy if 3/4 of my purchased "hens" turn out to be roosters!

Sorry the pictures aren't great....most of them come out blurry!

 

[yodercountrygirl]

Not sure your pics are kinda small to see clearly. But the way I can tell a roo from a pullett is the legs of a roo are long and go to a slimer body and the pulletts legs are shorter and go to a plumper body, go figure!!!! That is if you can't tell from the wattles and comb!

 

[Dustin Biery]

Hard to tell from the pictures, but I would say that 3 of the RIR are males.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Yeah, I see three roosters...

 

[meags163]

I don't think I can get better pictures b/c I only have the camera on my phone to work with and they aren't very good models!

If 3 of them are in fact roosters, should I call the person I bought them from and ask to trade 2 back for hens? Or is that just the risk you take when you buy chickens? (I think she should have done a better job sexing them since they were about 8 weeks old).

 

[meags163]

The other funny thing is that the leghorn is THE BOSS of the flock. She sleeps on the highest roost every night and I often catch her chasing the others away from the food. We were sure she was the rooster....that is until I found a white egg in the coop!

 

[cafarmgirl]

From those pic's I am for sure seeing at least two roo's, last pic is a hen. You might try talking to the person you got them from, see if she will trade back for some hens. With my RIR's I was able to tell who my roo was very early on. He was developing larger, redder comb and wattles way earlier then the girls by the time he was about a month old. I would think that by 8 weeks it should have been evident, but who knows. Can't hurt to give her a call.

 

[Dustin Biery]

Yeah, I would touch base with the seller and see if there is an option to trade. Some will, some wont.

 

[Elite Silkies]

I think I see 2 roo's and the bottom pic is a hen. If she sold them to you as hens, I would talk to her and see if she will do anything for you. She may have a couple of hens that she would be willing to part with.

 

[meags163]

Thanks for your replies everyone....I was pretty sure 3 are roos and your responses just make feel more confident in my judgment. I'll see if I can trade for some hens.