Hens or roosters??

[fougere5]

My husband bought some chicks from Tractor Supply- three of them are New Hampshire Reds and were supposed to be female. However I am having doubts. One, especially, crows incessantly and has tried to get amorous with one of our older hens. I read sometimes in an all girl flock, a hen can take on rooster characteristics and behaviors. I started to look at pics online of hens vs roosters and they look like roosters. But I also am very inexperienced at this sort of thing. So... what do you think? Thanks



Here's one of all three:


A few more pics:




Thank you again for any insight.

 

[myfivegirls]

They're production reds, not New Hampshires, and all three are roosters. Sorry, that happens a lot with TSC chicks.

 

[fougere5]

I was afraid of that. Thanks for your response. Last time we get chicks from Tractor supply. Now I need to figure out what to do with 3 roosters- we don't want roosters.

 

[fougere5]

How can you tell they are roosters? Is it the tail feathers being longer and more colorful? Thanks

 

[ozu]

How can you tell they are roosters? Is it the tail feathers being longer and more colorful? Thanks

The way I sex chickens is:

• Comb/wattle size (at certain ages.. roos develop faster and are redder)
• How upright they stand (hens stand lower to the ground)
• How they hold their tail (roos hold their tail upright.. some hens do like my golden comet, but hens usually let them hang more low)
• Pointy hackle/tail feathers (pointy feathers at the back of neck/tail)
• Shiny green hackle/tail feathers (I've heard hens can have these too, but they appear sooner in males)
• Thicker legs
• Faster/bigger growing spurs (hens get small, nearly non-existent ones)
• Coloring (some breeds, the roosters are colored differently than the hens)

Here's a production red hen:

Compared to your roos, this hen is more solid in coloring, has smaller comb/waddles, a solid-colored tail, the tail is round, with round feathers and not 'hooked'/pointed, she's lower to the ground.

Hope that helped!

 

[fougere5]

Definitely helpful! Thanks so much!

 

[ozu]

You're very welcome

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Production red roos.

 

[KilnChick]

Can anyone help me on these, type and sex?

 

[KilnChick]

And also this one? This is Speck, first one is Girtie.