Do I have a rooster?

[cluckmecoop7]

Hi all,

I was outside about 1 hour ago putting my chickens in their coop. (It is their third night outside so I am still teaching what to do. Also, they are almost 11 weeks old.) I saw one of my BO's pecking the other chickens on the roost and they were giving it lots of room. Today when they were outside *he* was a little but apart from the flock looking up at the sky and all around. Do you think *he's* a rooster? I'll try to get a picture of *him* tomorrow.

Thank you!

 

[MROO]

Pictures should definitely help! When you get pictures of his/her comb, be sure to get good profiles of the face and the whole bird, too. A picture that shows the legs would also help.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Pictures should definitely help! When you get pictures of his/her comb, be sure to get good profiles of the face and the whole bird, too. A picture that shows the legs would also help.

Ok, but now I can't tell which one *he* is.

 

[313759]

I usually go by, if the comb is getting rather larger and more red than the other chicks then chances are it's a cockerel, but there are no guarantees.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

that doesn't necessarily indicate male behavior... in a flock of females, it can indicate the most dominant pullet. As the strongest and most dominant, she gets the 'best' roost for the night and its also her job to also be on predator watch.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

that doesn't necessarily indicate male behavior... in a flock of females, it can indicate the most dominant pullet. As the strongest and most dominant, she gets the 'best' roost for the night and its also her job to also be on predator watch.

Ok, but they to it that young?

 

[313759]

Ok, but they to it that young?

Yeah, being aggressive toward one another at a young age is quite common, it's usually because they're trying to set up a hierarchy and have dominance over one another. At least that's what I know.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Ok, but they to it that young?

11 weeks isn't really that young. Believe it or not, you should be able to see any males very obviously because your chickens are going through puberty. Males will have big red combs and wattles, and females simply won't.

 

[CaramelKittey]

Hi!
I agree with the posts above. Being agreesive is not really a rooster’s behavior. If *he* has a large red comb and waddles, as well as a long greenish tail, and streamers. (Streamers are long feather-like streams going from their head to their neck)
Hope this helps!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Ok, thanks everyone! I will go out right now and try to get pictures of each of my chickens. Then you can tell me if they have big combs and wattles to you.