Correct ratio (if it exists) for Hens to Roos

[ILoveBabySilkies]

Awesome, thanks!

No problem! Do you know what parts of the chickens you should be getting pics of or should I give you a guideline?

 

[Flockincrazy]

I have 8roos and 39hens in my main coop all together with no issues it really just depends on the dynamics of your flock

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Lol, I’ve had a couple of horndogs who weren’t satisfied with fourteen girls!! They were all well behaved and great roos - very attentive, watchful, shared food, etc., but they tore up my girls something fierce! Hen saddles weren’t enough to keep feathers on my ladies. I guess though, if your harem’s always walking around naked...

 

[CrazyTownChick]

@ILoveBabySilkies

Pullets or Pullet-Surprise (Roos) ???

I have so many pictures of them it's crazy. So I will start with just a few of the girls, then work my way through the ones who I suspect may not be pullets/hens. Disclaimer: As you well know, at this age - 8 1/2 weeks - they change overnight. Literally. Sometimes new colored feathers, new redness or pinkish colors on the combs, wattles and faces shows up overnight! To the point where I may not recognize exactly who's who.

I have 3 Isa Browns, 3 Golden sex links, 1 RIR, 1 "production red" (cross between RI Red and NH Red??), 2 Easter Eggers, 3 CA White Leghorns (haven't been able to find out what they're crossed with, they have black/grey spots and feathers). I can't even keep the breeds straight, especially the brown ones - I have 7.

Keep in mind, all came from Tractor Supply, who are notorious for mixing up baby chicks, pullets and cockerels in their bins. their staff are NOT very knowledgeable about breeds or determining genders of the chicks. So I think I got all pullets, but time will tell.

So I'll start with two whom I suspect may be cockerels. One is, I think, a golden sex link --again from TSC so --- and the other is one of our Isa Browns (if you see they're not that breed, let me know what you think) I am only going to post two of them right now, will do two more later until all in question are done.

So here's Mocha, one of the golden sex links I believe. I know their gender is shown at birth. To be perfectly honest, for all I know she could be a different breed, not golden sex link. The reason I suspect she may not be a pullet (although this is very recent) is her tail, the way she carries it, the way she stands quite upright and inspects anything new like a new noise, or anything "different" It's mostly her tail and her demeanor, not so much her comb & wattles. I can't even tell if her legs are thicker than the others, they all look pretty much the same to me. She's somewhat friendly and will come up on my lap, but only when SHE wants to be there. First 5 are Mocha.

Then there's Amelia (Earhart) who earned her name the first day we brought home the 2 weeks old chicks. She was the FIRST to fly up to the top of the water container and sit there. She's been first at most everything ever since. Often First out the door and first up in the coop. Not always, but a lot. Also, her tail has that "telling" sickle shape. Two long feathers on the outside and shorter feathers between, making it like a C or a sickle.
She has quite a bit of red on her face, wattles, and comb. Not dark red, pinkish red. I think also, it's her who has red spots on the sides of her head beneath her ears or on her ears, I can't tell. She also is friendly and will come up for a few pets. She's not particularly aggressive or pushy, with the others. Very inquisitive and curious, explores everything. It's the sickle shaped tail that makes me wonder. And the pointy hackle feathers. Next 5 are Amelia. Isa Brown I think? Correct me if wrong. They change SO much everyday I can't keep up.







So what do you think? More to come.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

No problem! Do you know what parts of the chickens you should be getting pics of or should I give you a guideline?

I just posted two chicks, let me know if I got the right parts or not. As you know, darn near impossible to get them to hold still for the photoshoots.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Yes that’s normal. Mine make all sorts of racket when they get into their coop as they shuffle about and find who’s roosting where. Just walk away and do your best to ignore their noise lol

Yes that's been my strategy so far. They do make alot of noise until they're settled in. Sometimes it sounds a little brutal. But they'll figure it out. Is that a way to tell who the cockerel are? Will their behavior be more dominant, taking the top spot?

We put two 8' long roosting bars in the coop at the same height which are very comfortable and they seem to like. however they discovered they can get to the top of the coop right under the roof, where there's another 2x4! Its not a roost but it's higher. They like getting up there. so I'm wondering if we should block that 2x4 - that's the one they seem to fight over and it's not even a roosting bar.

 

[RW1984]

Yes that's been my strategy so far. They do make alot of noise until they're settled in. Sometimes it sounds a little brutal. But they'll figure it out. Is that a way to tell who the cockerel are? Will their behavior be more dominant, taking the top spot?

We put two 8' long roosting bars in the coop at the same height which are very comfortable and they seem to like. however they discovered they can get to the top of the coop right under the roof, where there's another 2x4! Its not a roost but it's higher. They like getting up there. so I'm wondering if we should block that 2x4 - that's the one they seem to fight over and it's not even a roosting bar.

I would leave it up there if it doesn’t hurt anything. It’s in their nature to want to roost as high as they can. Maybe add some more roosts higher off the ground?
As far as who the boys are CS girls you can look at their saddle and hackle feathers depending on age. Boys will have sharp saddle and hackle feathers and girls will have soft rounded ones.

 

[ILoveBabySilkies]

@ILoveBabySilkies

Pullets or Pullet-Surprise (Roos) ???

I have so many pictures of them it's crazy. So I will start with just a few of the girls, then work my way through the ones who I suspect may not be pullets/hens. Disclaimer: As you well know, at this age - 8 1/2 weeks - they change overnight. Literally. Sometimes new colored feathers, new redness or pinkish colors on the combs, wattles and faces shows up overnight! To the point where I may not recognize exactly who's who.

I have 3 Isa Browns, 3 Golden sex links, 1 RIR, 1 "production red" (cross between RI Red and NH Red??), 2 Easter Eggers, 3 CA White Leghorns (haven't been able to find out what they're crossed with, they have black/grey spots and feathers). I can't even keep the breeds straight, especially the brown ones - I have 7.

Keep in mind, all came from Tractor Supply, who are notorious for mixing up baby chicks, pullets and cockerels in their bins. their staff are NOT very knowledgeable about breeds or determining genders of the chicks. So I think I got all pullets, but time will tell.

So I'll start with two whom I suspect may be cockerels. One is, I think, a golden sex link --again from TSC so --- and the other is one of our Isa Browns (if you see they're not that breed, let me know what you think) I am only going to post two of them right now, will do two more later until all in question are done.

So here's Mocha, one of the golden sex links I believe. I know their gender is shown at birth. To be perfectly honest, for all I know she could be a different breed, not golden sex link. The reason I suspect she may not be a pullet (although this is very recent) is her tail, the way she carries it, the way she stands quite upright and inspects anything new like a new noise, or anything "different" It's mostly her tail and her demeanor, not so much her comb & wattles. I can't even tell if her legs are thicker than the others, they all look pretty much the same to me. She's somewhat friendly and will come up on my lap, but only when SHE wants to be there. First 5 are Mocha.

Then there's Amelia (Earhart) who earned her name the first day we brought home the 2 weeks old chicks. She was the FIRST to fly up to the top of the water container and sit there. She's been first at most everything ever since. Often First out the door and first up in the coop. Not always, but a lot. Also, her tail has that "telling" sickle shape. Two long feathers on the outside and shorter feathers between, making it like a C or a sickle.
She has quite a bit of red on her face, wattles, and comb. Not dark red, pinkish red. I think also, it's her who has red spots on the sides of her head beneath her ears or on her ears, I can't tell. She also is friendly and will come up for a few pets. She's not particularly aggressive or pushy, with the others. Very inquisitive and curious, explores everything. It's the sickle shaped tail that makes me wonder. And the pointy hackle feathers. Next 5 are Amelia. Isa Brown I think? Correct me if wrong. They change SO much everyday I can't keep up.
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So what do you think? More to come.

So sorry I couldn’t respond sooner! I ended up going somewhere for a couple days and had no service. Those both look like pullets! Both look like sexlinks which are sexed by color at day 1.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

So sorry I couldn’t respond sooner! I ended up going somewhere for a couple days and had no service. Those both look like pullets! Both look like sexlinks which are sexed by color at day 1.

Thanks so much! I put another 2 posts with 5 sets of bird pics on the What Gender is this" thread. My posts are called "opinion on gender please" I got a lot of responses and so far everyone seems to think all pullets. ❤ So that's 5 out if 13 anyway. See what you think....