Help sexing chicken

[Nicolachamp]

I bought two mix breed pullets (20 weeks) 2 days ago. One is crowing about 4-5 times a day and they fight a lot like I would imagine roosters would fight. Can anyone reassure me that these are pullets not roosters?

 

[Pyxis]

!

Can you post a picture of them?

 

[Nicolachamp]

Sorry, I tried but it didn't attach to the original post. This should work!

 

[Pyxis]

Well, those actually appear to be red sex link pullets. At 20 weeks I would expect to see much more developed combs and wattles on a rooster, not to mention hackle and saddle feathers, and I'm really not seeing that. Plus their coloring is definitely that of a female red sex link.

So, I think you have two pullets there. The crowing is interesting, but some hens do crow, particularly dominant hens in the absence of a rooster. So that's possibly what's going on.

When you posted I expected to have to tell you that you have two roosters, but it doesn't look like that's the case!

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, Nicolachamp, and

! Pleased you joined our community! I concur with Pyxis although I rarely attempt chicken gender guesses myself. I normally defer to the experts in this link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this
Best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!

 

[Nicolachamp]

Thank you guys! That's a relief. I did buy them from a produce store that regularly sells pullets, so I didn't think they would knowingly sell me a rooster. But the crowing has me confused! They are definitely very dominant, we have two silkies (15 weeks, one pullet, one rooster). And these new brown hens are establishing their position at the top of the pecking order. So perhaps that's the cause for the crowing?

 

[Pyxis]

Thank you guys! That's a relief. I did buy them from a produce store that regularly sells pullets, so I didn't think they would knowingly sell me a rooster. But the crowing has me confused! They are definitely very dominant, we have two silkies (15 weeks, one pullet, one rooster). And these new brown hens are establishing their position at the top of the pecking order. So perhaps that's the cause for the crowing?

Any chance it's actually your silkie cockerel doing the crowing and not one of these guys?

 

[N F C]

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

Thanks for joining us!

 

[Nicolachamp]

Any chance it's actually your silkie cockerel doing the crowing and not one of these guys?

No, I've had them seperated because the silkies are getting picked on (they're much more docile and a lot smaller) and it was definitely the Brown ones (I was standing next to them when they crowed twice). Puzzling!!

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under Nichochamp

Welcome!

That is puzzling. As Pyxis has mentioned, a dominant hen will crow and I have one who crows occasionally but she is 4 years old. I do not think it is common for younger hens to crow.

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

If you would like to share more pictures and stories of your flock, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out