Do I seriously have 8 cockerels?

[Tesumph]

Have read that one......but I don't eat organ 'meat'.
I am tho, an anatomy nerd and find it all fascinating.
After learning about chickens and slaughtering them was a bit tickled to ID nads in grocery birds, just didn't recognize what they were until my chickeneering education began.

@Tesumph how old was that little nad carrier?

5 weeks and 1 day. I meant to take individual photos of them all for 5 week mark but I’ve been feeling under the weather.

 

[WVduckchick]

Lack 'O Nads?
You might not have found these had you not carefully opened the way you did.

Slaughtered a few 15wo cockerels last week, was surprised how big theirs were, about nickel sized end to end...no pics.

Lack 'O Nads.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Yea, pretty sure that’s only somewhat reliable in the first 24-48 hours.

Ok. I don't know much about it.
How do people get the experience? Practice on DIS or failure to thrives?

 

[Tesumph]

Ok. I don't know much about it.
How do people get the experience? Practice on DIS or failure to thrives?

No, it’s not invasive if done properly, it’s done on hatchery chicks routinely. I guess people just learn from someone else who already knows how to?
It’s not really worth it unless you’re actively hatching out and selling “sexed” day old chicks, IMHO.

 

[townchicks]

Sorry about snothead, I'm glad it was one you didn't care for though. I've got zero to add to the gender conversation, still learning myself, but I wanted to say that Whitey is sure a cutie. Hope it is a pullet, like everyone thinks. Are you not able/wanting to keep a roo?

 

[Tesumph]

Sorry about snothead, I'm glad it was one you didn't care for though. I've got zero to add to the gender conversation, still learning myself, but I wanted to say that Whitey is sure a cutie. Hope it is a pullet, like everyone thinks. Are you not able/wanting to keep a roo?

I’m able, and really wouldn’t mind having one, but I only intend to keep a small amount of hens.
If I get any roos I will most likely raise them to sexual maturity and if they’re nice they’ll go to my MIL’s flock. If not, we’ll use the meat.

I agree, Whitey is precious.

 

[WVduckchick]

I’m able, and really wouldn’t mind having one, but I only intend to keep a small amount of hens.
If I get any roos I will most likely raise them to sexual maturity and if they’re nice they’ll go to my MIL’s flock. If not, we’ll use the meat.

I agree, Whitey is precious.

The suckiest part is that you specifically ordered pullets.

 

[Tesumph]

The suckiest part is that you specifically ordered pullets.

Exactly. It’s not that I have unrealistic expectations.. we wanted 5-6 hens so we ordered 8 pullets to account for death and roos. That sounds fair, right?

What I’m worried about is if I only have 3-4 pullets and I want to bump the numbers up. It would be a PITA to integrate 2 or 3 chicks (and do the gender gamble, again).

 

[aart]

Ok. I don't know much about it.
How do people get the experience? Practice on DIS or failure to thrives?

 

[KikiLeigh02]

If you're not super picky on breed you could check at a nearby farm store. Ours has had some older (3-5) week chicks every time I go in lately. They had some 2-3 day old AustraWhites I've got my eye on lol. I'm hoping they have some that get a little older where I can at least try sight sexing them. I'm about 97% sure all of mine that hatched are cockerels.
If you can find any they should integrate pretty easily with that little of an age gap.

Exactly. It’s not that I have unrealistic expectations.. we wanted 5-6 hens so we ordered 8 pullets to account for death and roos. That sounds fair, right?

What I’m worried about is if I only have 3-4 pullets and I want to bump the numbers up. It would be a PITA to integrate 2 or 3 chicks (and do the gender gamble, again).