Chick Behavior

[ChickenGirl555]

While my (3) polish chicks were getting some outside time, I noticed the two bigger ones, Terry and HeiHei, were bumping into each others and their hackle feathers were puffing up. I’ve seen this in my 9 month old pullets but not with the hackle feathers up. Also, the smallest of the three, Elvira, had been just watching, not caring about what they were doing. They are still small but have most of their feathers (I don’t know exact age but we estimate hatched on March 25).

I recently lost the fourth polish chick, Kevin, who was originally going to be our rooster since he showed every sign of a rooster (besides comb and wattles, but he died before they grew). So now I’m in need of a rooster (I want one for breeding mixes for fun) and I want to know if any of these behaviors mean rooster? Elvira is 99% going to be a girl, but the way.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

No,all chicks fight.You would have to wait a few weeks to know who will be an exact boy.Roosters do tend to fight more and the fights are usually more intense,I will say that,escpecially from experience.

 

[Nardo]

I have some new ones about 6 weeks maybe. They've been knocking each other around, hijacking from behind, wings stretching and flapping, running straight at and into another. It looks like they just like to scare each other.

 

[chickens really]

All Chicks play and have mock battles...That's normal..

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Alright, well thank you! I just wanted to know since I'm hoping one of mine is a cockerel!

 

[chickens really]

Possibly both are..Although Pullets play like that too..

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Possibly both are..Although Pullets play like that too..

Yeah...but I can't have two since I will only have enough hens for 1...

 

[RWise]

Hopefully you are prepared for 2, look at their combs, are they larger than the other? I certainly see my little cock birds doing the dance much more than females, and mine are a tad larger than the females.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Hopefully you are prepared for 2, look at their combs, are they larger than the other? I certainly see my little cock birds doing the dance much more than females, and mine are a tad larger than the females.

All of that matches both, except I haven’t checked my buff laced’s comb recently...And they are huge compared to the one I am 99% sure is a girl.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

They are also starting to jump on each others head and their hackle feathers rise up much more, but that’s probably because they’re growing, but whenever my lil’ White Crested Black most likely girl is “challenged” by one of the others, she backs away or gives in to whatever they want. None seem in distress and it just looked like play, in case that is useful.

Would it be possible to see small saddle feathers yet? They turn three months sometime late June. I believe I see some on my Golden Laced chick, HeiHei....