Hen or Roo? or is it too early to tell?

[1876 Farm]

They are 12 weeks of age today, and I have my camera ready to take more pictures of them this weekend. I'll try to find time to post them on Sunday.

It will be interesting to compare pictures once again and see how they have changed.

Enjoy your Friday!

 

[newbantam]

Your babies are beautiful!!

 

[1876 Farm]

Your babies are beautiful!!

Thank you Newbantam!!

 

[newbantam]

You are very welcome! =)

 

[1876 Farm]

Here's the pictures from over the weekend, they are sitting at 12 weeks of age. At 12 weeks they are nearly the size of my Red Stars which are small in size compared to my other hens. I have a fear that in a few weeks I won't be able to tell them apart from the rest of the flock... except that most are roosters.

All these chicks are a cross between a BCM (roo) and either a Barred Rock, Buff Orpington or a Red Star.

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o A little rooster... more based on the size and color of his comb than saddle feathers and also that this one was hatched black with a white spot on it's head. The saddle feathers are not as noticable than on the other chicks.
o I think this one is indeed a BCM x Barred Rock cross.

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o My little female and the only one I think. I noticed this weekend that her eyes were black. She always looks like she has a scowl on her face.
o I'm hoping that she lays chocolate colored eggs, because I want to hatch those next year. (along with a clutch of my blue/green eggs from my EEs - read that when you cross a blue/green laying hen with a brown laying rooster you will end up with hens that lay olive green eggs!!)
o I think this one is indeed a BCM x Barred Rock cross.

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o I love the color of this chick. On the other side of him the sadle feathers are quite obvious.. too bad he's not a she.
o I crossed my BCM with a Buff Orpington, Barred Rock and Red Stars,... this one must be a BCM x Red Star... .agree?

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o Rooster I believe. It's getting harder and harder telling him apart from the red stars I have. Only way I can is that his back end is much whiter than any other chicken I have in my coop.
o This one is obviously a BCM x Red Star... all agree?

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o Are those saddle feathers draped near the tail?
o He's enjoying apples from my many apple trees.
o This one I'm pretty sure is a BCM x Buff Orpington

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Everyone have a great day!!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree #2 is pullet; and I think #5 could be as well as those don't look like spiky male saddle feathers but rounded fluffy "cushion" feathers like a BO....which maybe this is a cross of....and the comb is not as big and red as the other crosses...could be a fast maturing pullet. I find my mutts mature faster than regular breeds do...with a few of the females really maturing quickly. One laid eggs at 13 weeks! (I thought for sure she was going to be a he until the egg.)

The only one that looks clearly Red Star mixed is roo #4. That's the kind of blotchiness I got with mixed mutts from Red Stars as you've got a hybird mixed with a breed to add a lot of extra genes.

I leave the rest to those who are far more skilled than I with breed crosses....but the others do look like males with that much red comb at 12 weeks.

Lady of McCamley

 

[1876 Farm]

The chicks are now 17 weeks old and the other day the one in this picture attempted to crow... no more guessing if she's a he or he's a she.

 

[1876 Farm]

Hen or Roo??

 

[donrae]

Roosters.

 

[1876 Farm]

Roosters.

I was hoping they were hens, since it didn't look like they had pin feathers (at least not as thin and pointy as the one that started crowing). Did the sticking out tails give them away?