hen or cock???

[bantamsrbest100]

havin real trouble telling if my french marans r hens or cocks?? And how old they r?? Grey one makes weird crowing noise others do not. The other two have very feathery legs and much larger feet than the grey, they also pick on the grey... just hen pecking or something else like male dominance? very confused!! Need help!!

 

[ramirezframing]

In the first picture, the black copper marans is a rooster. In the second picture, the light blue copper and the dark blue copper are both roosters along with the the black copper in the back ground.

 

[bantamsrbest100]

wat a shame im very disappointed that ive been sold three 'hens' by a 'close' friend. Thank u for ur help!

 

[LUVMYCHIKAS]

I agree with ramirezframing, they all appear to be roosters. At least by my little bit of experience with newbies. (Mine are 12 weeks now) I'm attemping to keep all four of my roosters, so far they seem to be keeping the pecking order in check. There's a bit of light sparring now and then. We'll see how it goes.

 

[farmerChef]

all roosters, you can see the pointed saddle(back) and hackle(neck) feathers coming in. Those start coming in around 3-4 months, so your birds are about 4 months old. The hens of this breed (should) only have copper around the neck. the roosters will get it on their back and wings.

I like the dark blue one.


Full grown birds (from feathersite)
rooster

hens (with a rooster)

 

[bantamsrbest100]

Dark blue is my fav!! Loraine is noe leonard!! Ha! he lets me pick him up jumps up at me for treats, any advice on wat i could breed him with to make a nice cross? I want the lovely bark brown eggs tho...

 

[ramirezframing]

If you cross him to a blue egg laying hen you should get a olive egger (if any of the chicks from this crossing are females)

 

[farmerChef]

Dark blue is my fav!! Loraine is noe leonard!! Ha! he lets me pick him up jumps up at me for treats, any advice on wat i could breed him with to make a nice cross? I want the lovely bark brown eggs tho...

If you cant keep all them, I would suggest taking your other "hens" back to your "friend". Its possible they don't know too much about sexing birds, but if they sold you hens, I would contact them.

You could breed him to Ameraucanas or Easter Eggers to get some Olive eggers.

this is a picture taken from here : https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/131131/the-olive-egger-thread

 

[bantamsrbest100]

yes olive eggs would b lovely!! I am going back this afternoon with the black and blue roosters, there are hens to swap with but I am told all are related so I cant keep them together?!

 

[farmerChef]

yes olive eggs would b lovely!! I am going back this afternoon with the black and blue roosters, there are hens to swap with but I am told all are related so I cant keep them together?!

It depends if the parents are related, I wouldn't worry about it unless they have been breeding the same birds back to each other for a few years. In my EE, I have mothers, daughter, and granddaughters, but I get a new rooster every once in a while, so the chicks aren't to related.
If your worried about it, I would breed them to together, but not put the pullets back with the rooster