Gender?...Truly Stumped! 12 weeks old

[GabCar]

Honestly, I would. Do as you like, but be prepared for the one you to keep to change in personality.
If you have children that can be dangerous if he sees people as a threat.

I do have 3 children...maybe no roosters for us.

 

[GabCar]

the barred one is a Dominique, the gray and rust is probably an EE and the last one is a Columbian something. What type of come? if rose, then she's a Columbian Wyandotte.

I'm so new and just learning so I have a lot of questions....please tell me all you know. Now, if the barred one is a Dominique, he/she has a rose comb. Does that mean I still have a chance that it's a pullet??? This is my VERY amateur research....and hope that I don't have to rehome 3 chickens that I love

 

[ValerieJ]

When you are just starting out with chickens, it's really hard to know if you should have a rooster at all. I tried to keep one because my first flock of 6, which I bought as day old chicks, included a cockerel. It was all fun and games until he and his favorite pullet ganged up on another pullet and scalped her. I was able to save her, but made Cockerel in Reisling Sauce with the aggressor. The next year one of my hens produced another cockerel. (I temporarily had a rooster from someone else's flock.) That one was really rough on my girls and they were all missing their feathers on their backside. I didn't want them going through winter that way, so I had to cull that one as well. I keep hearing people talk about their really great roosters, and I sure would like one too, but they are risky. And you really need about a dozen hens to one rooster.

I'm brooding 4 new chicks now and if one is a cockerel I'll try again. Sigh. I've had chickens for about 4 years now, but I'll never be seasoned enough to put up with a rooster that harms my hens.

I agree it's a personal choice and you should try whatever you want to try. Just be sure you're prepared to get him out of your flock quickly if you need to. Good luck!

 

[cstephens1987]

I'm so new and just learning so I have a lot of questions....please tell me all you know. Now, if the barred one is a Dominique, he/she has a rose comb. Does that mean I still have a chance that it's a pullet??? This is my VERY amateur research....and hope that I don't have to rehome 3 chickens that I love View attachment 1900347

Unfortunately not. A Dominique female would be darker and would have significantly less comb and it would be paler at this point. How many weeks old are they ?

 

[chrissynemetz]

I think my advice would be to re-home the three cockerels. This is your first time with chickens, and raising a cockerel without any experience can be tricky. If you really want a rooster, wait until you have a year or two under your belt, and a handful of adult hens.
It's a little easier to convince a hormonal cockerel to behave if he has a flock of hens who don't take any nonsense keeping him in line.
That's just my two cents worth.

 

[GabCar]

Unfortunately not. A Dominique female would be darker and would have significantly less comb and it would be paler at this point. How many weeks old are they ?

They are 12 weeks old. So, I guess I need to prepare to be unattached to him. I guess a valuable lesson in the chicken world lol

 

[GabCar]

I think my advice would be to re-home the three cockerels. This is your first time with chickens, and raising a cockerel without any experience can be tricky. If you really want a rooster, wait until you have a year or two under your belt, and a handful of adult hens.
It's a little easier to convince a hormonal cockerel to behave if he has a flock of hens who don't take any nonsense keeping him in line.
That's just my two cents worth.

That sounds like reasonable and wise advice.

 

[cstephens1987]

They are 12 weeks old. So, I guess I need to prepare to be unattached to him. I guess a valuable lesson in the chicken world lol

Yeah definitely a cockerel

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I totally agree with reforming them all. Get a cockerel later, if you really want one... after your girls are full grown and can put him in his place young. Train him on manners.