Help i'm really sad

[EweSheep]

Well my packing peanuts I had this year with a batch of Spitz pullets (one was a male) and out of the "warmth" chicks, there were three boys and two girls! Woooooo hooooooo! Those were from Ideal hatchery.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I'm sorry for your disappointment, but don't despair! A lot of good can come of this after all. First, you've got chicks to tend, and that's always nice, even if they're all roosters. And like others said, there IS a slight chance there could be a hen or two in there. Even if there aren't, at least you're getting your chicken coop repaired now. And that's always the most difficult part of keeping chickens. Keep it in good repair and it'll be so much easier to add more HENS later! And these chicks can give it a good "test drive" so you can fix any problems with it that you encounter.

And best of all, you've found BYC forum! This is a great community for help & support with all your chicken questions and a whole lot more!

Just don't give your heart away to these chicks, because it's possible you'll have to sell/give them away later. Think of yourself as their teacher and they're your students who will all graduate in about 6 months or so. Maybe a few will stay after graduation, but most of them have their destiny somewhere else. Give them your best care, enjoy them while they're with you, raise them up as best you can so you can be proud of them when they go to their new places.

 

[mypicklebird]

The hatcheries use whatever they have extras of as the 'packing peanuts'. Usually this is a mix of breeds, mostly sexed cockerels. Maybe some random extras. They need to ship out the day's hatch that day, as they can't survive the shipping after they are more than a few days old and are no longer relying on the remnant yolk. So whatever they have- straight run, cockerels, or other extras would go in those boxes.

They also say there is about a 10% chance of error in sexing. So about 1 in 10 of sexed pullets may accidentally be a cockerel. The opposite is probably also true. So in a box with 20 packing peanut cockerels- there may be 2 hens (more or less). I also would bet that if the chick 'sexer' has an ambiguous chick- meaning they are not sure which it is- they would likely err on putting it in the cockerel or peanut bin. So I would also say, as you have them and have the set up to care for them- wait it out. See what you have for sure before deciding what to do with them long term. What do they look like right now? Are they all the same or do you have a mixed bunch of colors and combs?

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
Exactly!

Post some pictures. Trying to guess breed and sex is always fun!

 

[feathersnuggles]

Don't assume that an aggressive chick is always male. One of my most aggressive little chicks has become a very strong & healthy 7-month-old...EGG-LAYER! And I mean, LOTS of large eggs...6 per week even in this dark rainy weather.

Hang in there and take good care of them. The little fuzzies deserve it and they rely on you!

 

[oldjoeclark]

Thank you guys sooooo much !! I feel so so so sosososo much better.. i'll let you guys know as they progress what i think tthey are.. took a bunch of pics today and i'll post them tonight or tommorow cya

 

[canada-goose]

No need to lose hope yet! Who knows? You might even have a hen or two!

 

[poultrypatch]

You know what they say: "you get what you pay for". I hope you DO change their bedding and DO feed and water them. Do as others suggest....rehome them. Quickly ! They are still adorable little guys...please do not ignore them or their needs. If I was closer I'd be happy to take them. I love little roos. I odered 7 Banty st runs from Ideal last Sept. I think 4 of them are Roos. I love them. They started to do baby crows at 7 wks and sound adorable. Remember, take care of them while you still have them...God is watching over his creatures....great and small.
Liz
Rochester, MA

 

[oldjoeclark]

Ok heres my chicky's what do I have?? Can you tell if any are hens or roosters? Any help appreciated thanks

http://picasaweb.google.com/oldjoeclarkOSU/Chickens?feat=directlink

 

[PortageGirl]

I think there's hope for a couple of them! They really need another week or so to develop some more feathers for ME to tell for sure, there's some others here who are more talented than me though. Keep your chin up though!