chicken breed help

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MillersFarm said:
That young huh? I'm leaning towards cockerel but there's still a chance it's a pullet, it's 50/50 for me.
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just curious what characteristics are making you lean that way? i am very new to this and trying to learn as much as i can about chickens..i really hope it ends up being a hen its my favorite one
 
wiscochickens said:
just curious what characteristics are making you lean that way? i am very new to this and trying to learn as much as i can about chickens..i really hope it ends up being a hen its my favorite one
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The first thing I always look at is comb size and color. If it's bigger than your other bird's comb and more pink/red then it's most likely a cockerel, Sometimes it's harder to sex certain chickens by their combs, Rose comb breeds tend to have larger/brighter combs than single comb breeds. Another thing I look at is feather color, With Easter eggers the cockerels tend to have patches of dark red feathers growing on their wings and/or on their back closer to the tail, cockerels will also have pointed feathers that droop down at the base of their tails and necks too, meanwhile pullets will have more rounded feathers, Here's a great example of feather sexing
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i can see what you mean about no.5 now definitely looks like pointed feathers..but i agree that the rest look like pullets they all have rounded feathers thanks so much for the info and help..next question is if indeed turns out to be rooster what do i do with it would i have to separate him or is it best to find a different home for him?
 
Well it really depends on his behavior, At around 4-6 months of age the cockerels will start to get hormonal and breed with your pullets quite often, Which may seem like bad behavior, But I dont get rid of any cockerels until they're at least 8 months old, They'll be more mature by then and wont breed your girls as often, and you'll start to get a feel for their personality. I only keep non- aggressive roosters that care for my hens. But since you would only have 6 hens for him I would suggest rehoming him, Good or bad. The best hens to rooster ratio would be 10 hens per rooster if you want to avoid your girls being over-bred. But before you think about rehoming him i'd just wait a couple more weeks, He still could turn out to be a pullet.
 
wiscochickens said:
what is making you lean towards them being cockerels
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At the age of your chickens, hackle and saddle feathers are not going to help you separate the cockerels from the pullets, as those develop later on. Also note how #5 is just know starting to get his tail feathers and finish up losing all his chick fluff, this is one sign of him being a cockerel as the majority of male chicks are much slower to mature and develop than females. For him being five or six weeks old he's already got some pretty big feet, and long legs too. You can also see his comb and wattles starting to redden. As for numbers 2 and 7, I honestly can't picture a pullet with legs that long and thick at the oldest age being eleven weeks. Their feet are already looking quite large also. Their combs and wattles are also quite red for a pullet in that age range. White rock cockerels combs are slow growing in general from what I've seen, although like any cockerel they redden quickly. These are just some signs to look for. You can post update pictures in a week or two for more definite answers on genders. Enjoy your new flock. :D
 
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