Found 2 chickens, pullets or cockerels?

[Rhodebar Lover]

Thank you! We figured they may be and that's why they were dumped. Can you educate me on how you know they're cockerels?

"Dark" in Brahmas is the same variety as silver pencilled. This is an extremely sexually dimorphic variety with females being pencilled and males being black chested with silver saddle and hackle feathers. With the first set of wing feathers, both genders will often have pencilled wings so ignore the wings. Cockerels on their chests and bodies will be a splotchy mix of black and white. Your chicks' chests and white shoulders are dead giveaways. Here is a pullet Silver Pencilled Rock for comparison. Note how the chest is clearly pencilled and there are no white shoulders emerging!

 

[sarahjones0303]

"Dark" in Brahmas is the same variety as silver pencilled. This is an extremely sexually dimorphic variety with females being pencilled and males being black chested with silver saddle and hackle feathers. With the first set of wing feathers, both genders will often have pencilled wings so ignore the wings. Cockerels on their chests and bodies will be a splotchy mix of black and white. Your chicks' chests and white shoulders are dead giveaways. Here is a pullet Silver Pencilled Rock for comparison. Note how the chest is clearly pencilled and there are no white shoulders emerging!
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Thank you for going the extra mile and telling me all this! It's amazing how much I'm learning in just 4 days of having chickens. From crops to types of feathers and everything in between.

 

[Yard Farmer]

They're Dark Brahma cockerels

Someone must have told the original owner here, on BYC that they were boys and they dumped them there.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Thank you for going the extra mile and telling me all this! It's amazing how much I'm learning in just 4 days of having chickens. From crops to types of feathers and everything in between.

You're welcome! Chickens are such cool animals and there is always so much to learn. I've had them for a decade and still have so much to learn. This forum is a great place to learn just about everything!

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Thank you for the help! Our garage is hovering between 70-75 with the weather we're having this week. I do have a heat lamp for them at night when it drops into the 60s in there.

They may not even need it. I'm just a helicopter chicken parent who exercises extra caution. (Conversely, make sure they have places to be away from the light if they're feeling too hot). Best of luck with them, and kudos again!

 

[sarahjones0303]

They may not even need it. I'm just a helicopter chicken parent who exercises extra caution. (Conversely, make sure they have places to be away from the light if they're feeling too hot). Best of luck with them, and kudos again!

I have it positioned to warm one corner more than the others with a digital thermometer nearby! Luckily, I used to work at the county extension office and had a coworker to call with chicken experience to give me the setup low-down before we headed to the supply store. I appreciate this community so much though for their insight!