Hens or Roos? about 6 weeks old Speckled Sussex

[naught]

 

[willowbranchfarm]

I would say cockerel.

 

[my sunwolf]

I would say cockerel.

x2

 

[PoultryGirly]

x2

X3

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Cockerel.

 

[naught]

DANG IT! Love this one! Well, here's hoping your all wrong Thanks for the replies!

 

[naught]

Is it the Comb or the feathers that make y'all think she's a he?

 

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I find that the Roos will have larger combs and wattles than his sisters. Also they will start turning red before his sisters. Generally it's their behavior that differentiates the boys from the girls. The boys are generally more aggressive in their play and the girls more passive. The boys have more alert sort of fierce looking expression in their eyes and the girls have softer more passive eyes. I've raised chickens for 36 years and can usually tell at 3-5 weeks old by these characteristics. I haven't watched this chick in play but the eye expression makes me think he's male. This doesn't mean it couldn't be a more aggressive hen. If you are going to keep him as a pet, now is the time to give him lots of love and petting so he will be a well behaved rooster and not be aggressive to you. I've raised over 20 roosters of many breeds and have only one aggressive rooster. He was my first one and I didn't know how to raise a rooster. I learned from him and have had well behaved boys since then.

 

[my sunwolf]

I find that the Roos will have larger combs and wattles than his sisters. Also they will start turning red before his sisters. Generally it's their behavior that differentiates the boys from the girls. The boys are generally more aggressive in their play and the girls more passive. The boys have more alert sort of fierce looking expression in their eyes and the girls have softer more passive eyes. I've raised chickens for 36 years and can usually tell at 3-5 weeks old by these characteristics. I haven't watched this chick in play but the eye expression makes me think he's male. This doesn't mean it couldn't be a more aggressive hen. If you are going to keep him as a pet, now is the time to give him lots of love and petting so he will be a well behaved rooster and not be aggressive to you. I've raised over 20 roosters of many breeds and have only one aggressive rooster. He was my first one and I didn't know how to raise a rooster. I learned from him and have had well behaved boys since then.

Agree about the comb and wattles, looks like he's already starting to redden up.

(And as a side note, the roos who I were very affectionate to as chicks grew up to think that I was their friend and that I was on their level... at about 4 months old they started trying to dance for me and, when that didn't work, to come at me. They never got to the point of attack, since if I charged at them they'd run away. Still, they were a little too friendly with me for my liking. The boys who I wasn't affectionate with ended up being a lot more level-headed and pretty much ignored me except when I had treats that they could share.)

*Edited for terrible spelling

 

[Panth]

Agree about the comb and wattles, looks like he's already starting to redden up.

(And as a side note, the roos who I were very affectionate to as chicks grew up to think that I was their friend and that I was on their level... at about 4 months old they started trying to dance for me and, when that didn't work, to come at me. They never got to the point of attack, since if I charged at them they'd run away. Still, they were a little too friendly with me for my liking. The boys who I wasn't affectionate with ended up being a lot more level-headed and pretty much ignored me except when I had treats that they could share.)

*Edited for terrible spelling

Completely agree with this....I don't make pets out of my roosters, we have an "I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone" relationship of mutual respect, and I do not have a single aggresive rooster out of 10 different breeds and ages. My best friend, on the other hand, has 4 roos from the same hatches as some of mine and she tried to make pets from hers and they are ALL aggresive both to her and to other people.