Hello, I got my first chicks a month ago today. 2 will be six weeks on Wed, 1 will be six weeks on Thursday, and 1 will be 5 weeks on Friday. I originally got two from the local feed store but decided I needed two more. The dates of birth were estimated by the salesman who said they receive shipments on Fridays and some chicks are a week old while others are only a day old. He helped us guestimate the ages based on the sizes of the chicks wings and the presence of egg teeth. I used the backyard chickens site to figure out the appropriate husbandry and to obsess about my chicks. Charmin (EE): My youngest chick had a case of pasty butt which we noticed as soon as we brought her home. I used warm water to fix her but she had the problem again the next day. I used the advice from backyard chicken to "cure" her (peroxide, vasoline, and oatmeal). After the ordeal her name became "Charmin." Lucy (Red Sex-link): The first one I picked out. She is mostly red with some white feathering. I called her Lucy because she chirped ever so loudly, reminding me of Lucille ball. Ravyn (Black Sex-link): She is beautiful and black. Her middle toes are yellow while the others are black. She has one white feather at the tip of each wing that you only see when her wings are spread out. She also has a white dot next to each eye. She has recently been developing some pretty brown feathers around her neck. Pebbles (BR or similar): She is probably a he. I will add a pic and you tell me what you think! This pic is at approx. 4.5 weeks for both chicks (they are same age).
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help. From the pics provided above, the barred rock looks to be a he due to the light coloring and size of the comb. The sex link however, looks like a female. You can post more pics here for more answers https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this Good luck and glad you joined!
So my thoughts are that if Pebbles is a boy I should purchase another BR hen. I hear the feed store still has chicks from Pebbles litter available. I know the ideal roo to hen ration is 8-10 but do you think 4 hens and 1 roo will be okay? Also, will it be okay to introduce new chicks at 6 weeks?
Welcome to BYC! As to your question... I have the same opinion as Mountain Peeps -- the Barred Rock looks like a male, his beak also looks like a male beak. (If he grows spers or starts crowing, you'll know for sure he's a male. I bet you knew that anyway though.) I hope you enjoy being a part of BYC! I know I have! The people here are really helpful!
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. The picture of your Barred Rock is not a good one for determining its sex. It is dark and only a partial frontal view of your BR. However, based on what I can see of your BR, I think it's likely a cockerel. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
Girls can grow spurs as well but, usually not as long. BR cockerels are usually more a gray and white barring while the females are black and white. Yours does seem to be a cockerel in the making.
Glad you joined us! Your Barred Rock looks like a cockerel to me. 1 rooster to four hens may work, or it may not. It will depend on the vigor, mating habits, and general personality of your rooster, and the resilience of the hens.
Hello there and welcome to BYC! I think the BR is a pullet. Here is a pic of one of my BR's at around 4.5 weeks and turned out to be a pullet.. Good luck with your flock and welcome to ours!