Girls or boys

[loubm5]

My mum and dad have just bought 6 chicks 3 what look like 3 cuckoo marans and 3 'blacklegs' they are now 6 1/2 weeks old and were coming to sex them. We have 2 light grey marans and 1 dark. I know nothing about chickens so I've come here.

the light grey

dark grey. What do you think?

 

[NewlyHatchedEgg]

If they are anything like barred Rocks and Dominiques, the lighter ones are boys and the darker ones are girls.

 

[loubm5]

Do hens fight or is it just the cocks?

 

[NewlyHatchedEgg]

Hens can fight too, usually they do so to determine the pecking order and at this age most likely to engage in play fighting. The difference I noticed in my chickens, is that the cockerel would do 'chest bumps' constantly, always challenging the other chicks. The pullets would do it once or twice before losing interest. My rooster than started to use his feet in fighting, and now (he is 11 weeks old) he puts his head down and charges the females (he looks a lot like a bull).

 

[BantamLover21]

Do hens fight or is it just the cocks?

Both sexes of chicken fight to establish a pecking order, but the cocks are usually more aggressive.

 

[NewlyHatchedEgg]

In case you want something to compare to, here are some three month old cuckoo marans. I know yours are only 6 weeks, but you can start looking for the differences. There are two pullets and one roo. Notice how the cockerel has a lighter appearance and comb and wattle development. If you want, you can post update pictures in a few more weeks. Good luck!

 

[loubm5]

Thanks all. Mum is now stressing that we have a possible 4 cocks. What can we do with the cocks as mum only wants eggs not chicks

 

[loubm5]

still none the wiser to any of them :/

 

[NewlyHatchedEgg]

So, it looks like you have two male cuckoo Marans (the one furthest away and closest in the picture are males. The one in the middle is darker in appearance and has less comb and wattle development than your other marans, which is why I think she is a girl) Now, I have never owned this breed, but I have Dominiques which can be sexed by color/pattern similar to the Cuckoo Marans and Rhode Island Reds which can be sexed around 6 weeks because males develop single combs faster than females. I can tell you that my 12 week old Rhode Island Reds and 14 week Dominiques have less comb and wattle than two of your 9 week old Marans.

As for the 'blacklegs' those are Mediterranean chickens. Again, I have never owned a Mediterranean bird, but my grandparents own quiet a few and I do know that the females develop large combs and wattles.

I wish you the best of luck. I hope that I'm wrong and you have all females. I understand your Mum's stress, I too bought chicks with the idea of fresh eggs and ended up with a surprise boy. I recently had to kill my 11 week old cockerel because they are illegal where I live and my neighbor complained about the crowing.

 

[donrae]

still none the wiser to any of them

Are the birds in this picture 6-8 weeks old? If so, the darker black and white bird second from the top is the only female.