First time chicken mama, need some help w/sex & type

[henrychick]

Hi, we have 6 chickens that were a straight run and need some help sexing them. I am guessing that 3 are males based on the following: combs are developing faster than others, more aggressive behavior and leaders of the flock. I have read several books and read that you can tell my their hackle feathers and whether they are pointed or rounded. They all look the same to me, they all look rounded. I believe my chickens are Rhode Island Reds, maybe one is a Leghorn (white one) and a Black Bantam. If you can help me determine what type of chickens they are and what sex they are I would really appreciate it!!! My husband said he thought he heard one trying to crow last night. THANK YOU! I will try to post some better pics later (it is raining out right now).

 

[Iluvmypeeps]

Roo or not, Leghorns get huge combs... but you're white leghorn could be the male. That deep mohogany-colored baby (RIR?) is looking roo-ish too.

 

[Tiss]

The light brown ones look like my red sex linked. In that case, they'd be girls.

I'd need a side view of the white one to see if it is indeed a leghorn. If it is, I'd say it's a roo.

 

[henrychick]

Thanks for the advice.

My guess is that the white one is a Leghorn Roo. He was a Henrietta and now we are calling him Henry. He is huge in comparison to the others. He has always disliked being held and is aggressive. He is full of spunk.

How can you tell if it is indeed a Leghorn?

The mahoghany colored one tends to fight with the white one and his comb is getting pretty red and big quickly. He also has qualitites that lead me to believe he is a rooster.

The little black one is a bantam and is super sweet unlike the above two I mentioned. The do not like to be held like the others. I am hoping the black one isn't a boy as my kids are all in love with her more than anyone because of her temperment. However, she is becoming a little more aggressive and her comb is progressing along faster than the rest (is this an indicator?).

The light brown ones are all definitely girls, they are gentle sweet and seem to listen to the bigger suspected males.

I hate that we will have to get rid of the roosters. They have such personality and we love them all.

 

[jossanne]

Looks to me like the big white roo is getting red earlobes. That makes him a white rock or white orpington, not a leghorn. A leghorn will have white earlobes. Can you get side shots of the birds? That would really help with the white one and the bantam. The browns are red sex-links, and it does look like you have a Rhode Island red in there. I'd guess the RI is a male.

 

[henrychick]

Here are better pics. Looks like the first three might be males. What do you think?

Henry

Sheila (hoping she stays a Sheila and isn't a boy, she is a bantam)

Big Bird

"The girls" (Ernita, Clarissa and Foghorn)

Thanks!

 

[jossanne]

Henry is a white rock, based on leg and earlobe color. Sheila is a bantam cochin. Big Bird is a hatchery RI Red. All three look like boys. My bantam cochin roo is a sweetie, hopefully Sheila will be too!

The girls definitely look like red sex-links. They'll be excellent layers. Congratulations!

 

[henrychick]

Thanks Jossanne!!!

If they aren't too loud I may try to keep one rooster. We love them all. We are in a neighborhood and I don't want to bother the neighbors (even though we are on over 2 acres). I know how loud roosters can be.

What age do they normally start crowing? Do bantams crow less loud possibly?

 

[henrychick]

Also wondering what features are making the little black cochin bantam look more like a roo. As I mentioned I am hoping it is a girl, but what exactly should I watch? The comb and waddle? Thanks again everybody!

 

[jossanne]

Well... the reason I'm thinking Henry, Sheila and Big Bird look like boys is their big red combs and wattles. If they're 12 or 14 weeks old or less, there is really too much red there for them to be girls. But if they're near point of lay, closer to 20 weeks, they could be pullets. How old are these babies? Henry and Sheila are shaped more like pullets right now, with no signs of sickle feathers in the tail, but still that red in the comb and wattles...

I guess it all hinges on their age. When did they hatch?

I'm going to find pictures of my bantam cochins, and see what age my little ones had combs and wattles like that.