Help with gender?

[mrstrouty]

So you all were so helpful telling me the gender of my other 2....thought you could help me once again with these 2

They are 16 wks old. I sorta suspect pic #1 as being a rooster, but unlike my other 2 roos, these 2 haven't been doing any crowing.

 

[aoxa]

Both are boys for sure. Some boys don't crow until mature (6 months) some crow as young as a day old (I have seen a video!). Either way, the colours in their face alone are enough to indicate male.

Are you sure of their age? They look very young. More like 12-14 weeks old. I usually see saddle feathers on boys at this age.

 

[ramirezframing]

both roos

 

[mrstrouty]

Both are boys for sure. Some boys don't crow until mature (6 months) some crow as young as a day old (I have seen a video!). Either way, the colours in their face alone are enough to indicate male.
Are you sure of their age? They look very young. More like 12-14 weeks old. I usually see saddle feathers on boys at this age.

we thought we were pretty spot on with the b-day. The girl we got them from had it marked on her calendar. I can't believe it, out of 6 chickens we have four roosters

We mainly wanted them for pets and bug control, any eggs would have been a bonus. I just hope everyone gets along, I really wouldn't want to part with any of them.

 

[aoxa]

we thought we were pretty spot on with the b-day. The girl we got them from had it marked on her calendar. I can't believe it, out of 6 chickens we have four roosters We mainly wanted them for pets and bug control, any eggs would have been a bonus. I just hope everyone gets along, I really wouldn't want to part with any of them.

I would rather have 6 roos than 4/6 to be honest. The girls would be naked from the attention, and would be so stressed they wouldn't lay at all. If you could separate the girls from the boys, keeping them all wouldn't be an issue.

Here is a roo of mine at 14 weeks. He has visible saddle feathers here.

Here he is at 12 weeks. Saddle feathers are not visible yet.

at 16 weeks his saddle feathers were very easy to notice

And for reference.. These are the feathers that are indicative of gender if you are not sure before they develop them. There is a gene called henny feathered. Most breeds follow this standard for males though. They start to get them between week 12-14, which is why I think your boys are younger than you mentioned.

 

[thebanthams]

Hes gonna be beautiful when he gets older!

 

[donrae]

I agree you need to manage your roo/hen ratio. Can you keep one roo with the hens and the other roos in a bachelor pad? Roos raised together, with no hens to fight over, usually don't do an extreme amount of fighting. But those hens are going to be miserable and the roos will squabble a lot more with the girls around.

Course, you could add like 40 hens and that would manage things nicely

Then again, roosters taste like chicken.............

 

[mrstrouty]

I agree you need to manage your roo/hen ratio. Can you keep one roo with the hens and the other roos in a bachelor pad? Roos raised together, with no hens to fight over, usually don't do an extreme amount of fighting. But those hens are going to be miserable and the roos will squabble a lot more with the girls around.

Course, you could add like 40 hens and that would manage things nicely

Then again, roosters taste like chicken.............

Omigosh nooo!! I guess I'm one of those weirdo chicken owners who baby them too much. I could never eat any of them

 

[mrstrouty]

Both are boys for sure. Some boys don't crow until mature (6 months) some crow as young as a day old (I have seen a video!). Either way, the colours in their face alone are enough to indicate male.
Are you sure of their age? They look very young. More like 12-14 weeks old. I usually see saddle feathers on boys at this age.

Wow aoxa you are amazing!!! I double checked on hatching date and you were right, they are actually 13 wks!!!!!

 

[aoxa]

Wow aoxa you are amazing!!!  I double checked on hatching date and you were right, they are actually 13 wks!!!!!

Wow I was spot on! Love that lol. I guess I watch my birds develop quite a bit, so I am much better at pinpointing age (if they are not fully mature).

I'm always going back to the calendar and counting weeks. It's a frequent happening. I wish there was an easier way!