Hen or Roo & Breed?

[cmom]

Good luck and have lots of fun...

 

[Knakamoto]

Also,

Thank you

 

[Kat C]

Most often when the chicks are young and it's hard to tell, the females tend to start getting their tail feathers before the males do.

Actually we did a cross with a Marans and a crossbreed and the 3 month pullets all have nice tails and the roos are just beginning to get tails. Of course once the roos get tails distinctive feathers usually start to show. I tend to go by comb color and comb size first, behavior and in some color patterns the males start getting distinctive color on the shoulders. Behavior is a clue too. Usually the young roos joust and the pullets don't, but sometimes.... The two below are from this cross, hatched together. As you can see the roo (first pic) has almost no tail but a distinctive hackle pattern showing. The pullet has just a dusting of black on her hackle and has a full tail. We still have two chicks from other crosses that we are uncertain as to gender. One we were sure was a male from early color in the comb, but daily looks more and more like a pullet. Time always tells! When one crows and another lays and egg you have it nailed. Looks like a fun and interesting bunch of chicks. We love crossing birds and find them healthier and more vigorous than pure bred chickens.

 

[Knakamoto]

Actually we did a cross with a Marans and a crossbreed and the 3 month pullets all have nice tails and the roos are just beginning to get tails. Of course once the roos get tails distinctive feathers usually start to show. I tend to go by comb color and comb size first, behavior and in some color patterns the males start getting distinctive color on the shoulders. Behavior is a clue too. Usually the young roos joust and the pullets don't, but sometimes.... The two below are from this cross, hatched together. As you can see the roo (first pic) has almost no tail but a distinctive hackle pattern showing. The pullet has just a dusting of black on her hackle and has a full tail. We still have two chicks from other crosses that we are uncertain as to gender. One we were sure was a male from early color in the comb, but daily looks more and more like a pullet. Time always tells! When one crows and another lays and egg you have it nailed. Looks like a fun and interesting bunch of chicks. We love crossing birds and find them healthier and more vigorous than pure bred chickens. View attachment 1450003 View attachment 1450004

They are so pretty. Thank you for all the information. I’m treating them more as pets my husband Just keeps laughing at me. He says I’m crazy. Haha

 

[cmom]

I have experimented with crosses in the past, but I like to show my birds at poultry shows.