Chest butting..determines sex?

[lisa new chickens]

I have 2 chicks 3 weeks old that are butting chests and 1, (I think is a roo), is noisy and aggressive. the noisy 1 is a silver seabright. The quieter 1 is a golden seabright. Are these just noisy bantams? i have 2 more bantams (cochin), who were not this noisy, 1 is a roo and 1 a pullet. They are docile. What gives???

 

[acid_chipmunk]

My pullets do the chest bumping, too. I just laugh when I see them doing it.

 

[lisa new chickens]

So yours are pullets?..They stare each other down..too funny.

 

[TXmom]

Yep...they all do the chest bumping and "I'm taller than you are" thing...it's how they establish their pecking order.

The biggest difference I see is when I put my hand in the brooder...the little roos will run up to my hand and challenge my hand while the pullets run to the corner. This is not fool-proof, but it helps you figure things out.

 

[LauraG]

I was just wondering this myself!!

I saw my bitty Barred Rock doing this & after I picked myself up off the floor from laughing, I wondered if that means its a roo!! I'm glad to hear it doesnt really mean anything but pecking order. How funny!

 

[lisa new chickens]

The one that is doing the chest butting is also very LOUD!!! This one runs around the cage with a loud chirp. when I putt the brooder in the back bedroom, she gets even louder..

 

[ericsgirlie]

I knew you all would have an answer for me. Ours have been doing this too. I was hoping it did not mean Roo! LOL! So fun to watch!

 

[dianaross77]

I had 2 serama pullets in a brooder alone and one of them did a lot of chest bumping too. She turned into quite the feisty little hen, very vocal and bossy with all the other girls, even the LF who were 4 times her size. Maybe it's a Napoleonic complex that some bantams have. I've heard sebrights can be spunky.

 

[sj3364]

Quote:
X2

I knew the day old BR I brought home was a rooster when my daughter stuck her hand in there with red nail polish and he ran right up to her and began attacking her fingers. He's 6 weeks now and still a feisty little guy. I have the little chicks in the run while the big chicken free range. The big girls come right up to the fence and my other chicks keep their distance but the little roo runs right up to them, standing as tall as he can. He has no idea they would wallop his little behind if I put them together.

 

[no1hilbily]

not at all my hens do that