Hen or Rooster?

[mompoulson]

This is my family's first time with chickens. We have 6 birds in total. We will be loosing one for sure tomorrow as it turns out it's a rooster. (He will be going to an old friends farm)I would like to know your thoughts on my other Production Red. Hen or Rooster? Also let me know why you think what you think. We are trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

[drumstick diva]

How old are they?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This is a cockerel (young rooster). Note the dark,shiny feathers emerging on the wing, at the neck (hackle feathers) and near the tail (saddle feathers).

 

[mompoulson]

How old are they?

Opps I meant to put that in there. They are 12 weeks in Tuesday.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Opps I meant to put that in there. They are 12 weeks in Tuesday.

Also, at 12 weeks this large, red comb and wattle growth (which I suspect has been there for a few weeks now) is definitively cockerel

 

[mompoulson]

This is a cockerel (young rooster). Note the dark,shiny feathers emerging on the wing, at the neck (hackle feathers) and near the tail (saddle feathers).

So this is what I have been told but I just really want to make sure before I send both of my Production Reds off as we only had the 2.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So this is what I have been told but I just really want to make sure before I send both of my Production Reds off as we only had the 2.

Sorry about that. ....rough introduction to chicken keeping to lose both to the dreaded *y chromosome disease*

 

[mompoulson]

Also, at 12 weeks this large, red comb and wattle growth (which I suspect has been there for a few weeks now) is definitively cockerel

Yes they've been there for a few weeks now. Thanks for the help in confirming this.

 

[mompoulson]

Sorry about that. ....rough introduction to chicken keeping to lose both to the dreaded *y chromosome disease*

Yes definitely rough. My kiddos are really disappointed. Well I guess we're down to 4. Maybe we'll get another small batch next year. I want to see how our winter goes before bringing more in. We get some pretty cold winter's.