Hens turned out to be roosters.. now what?

[Mandie]

Thank you so so much for all of the input! It took a little longer than expected to get decent pictures, but I am so hoping that they are all in fact girls! I got them April 5th, but I'm not sure if they were a day old or not.. they had little wing and tail feathers. The adult rooster hasn't been trying to breed any of them, will that begin before they start laying eggs?



This one was pecking on the glass door





The closest chicken is one with a smaller comb, and seems to be much friendlier.

 

[donrae]

Well, problem solved! Those are all hens *except your barred roo--handsome guy!* and I believe they are red sex links, not rhode island reds. The girls with the larger combs are getting ready to lay...........those sex links will flood you with nice brown eggs!

 

[speckledhen]

Those are not Rhode Island Reds. They are red sex link pullets. Sex links are called that because they are a hybrid that is able to be sexed at hatch by the color difference in males and females.

And you have a what appears to be a Dominique rooster--it is not a Barred Rock. It has a rose comb. BRs have single combs.

 

[Rhoise]

x2 on the red or golden sex links they look more like my Frankie and Francine(goldens) than the production red ladies, this picture is Frankie right after she layed her first egg kinda dazed...She was hatched April 1st layed her first egg August 4th @ 17weeks 6 days old

 

[Fred's Hens]

The sex link is the only way to assure the sex, really. With breeds, most sellers have a disclaimer that sexing is only 90% accurate. With a sex link. the sexing is almost always in the 98% range. I say that because I've gotten a cockerel or two with RSL orders. But even then, the cockerels sprout their combs and wattles so fast and turn so white that they stand out like a sore thumb at 5 weeks.

Yes, those are not RIR. They are red sex links and they are pullets. Some of them will begin laying small pullet eggs within a week or two. The rest will follow when their bodies tell them to. The roo you are showing isn't likely a Barred Rock, however. He too is likely a sex link. A Black Sex Link. The males of the BSLs look a lot like their BR mothers, but the gold/red tone leakage is a give-a-way. Plus, they have a slightly less sharp baring to them. I admit to having seen hatchery quality BR rooster who get too much sun "tan" a bit, but from what I can see, your's is more likely a BSL

Edit: Just saw the comb. Hmmmmmm Doms can also be used in a BSL.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Yup, any barred hen can be used to create a sex link, including a Dominique, but I think the OP said she got him as a grown rooster from someone, if I'm not mistaken, Fred, so he wasn't in her hatchery order.

 

[Fred's Hens]

While the OP didn't specifically ask us to critique the rooster, LOL, we just cannot help ourselves. The amount of gold is either the result of sun tanning or eating a whole bunch of carotene food stuffs, or more likely, he is a cross. Yes, sex links are also crosses, but he may simply be a cross with no sex link intention.

 

[Mandie]

Well.. I have to say I feel a little like a chicken idiot.

Apparently buying chickens off craigslist isn't the most reliable.
However I am so so happy they are all pullets! This is excellent news!!

Thank you guys so so much for all of your help! I would have never known any of this! Thank you!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Don't worry about. Everyone starts somewhere. For my money? You have some great birds and you'll love them, they'll lay lots of brown eggs. Keep learning. We all must keep learning.

 

[speckledhen]

While the OP didn't specifically ask us to critique the rooster, LOL, we just cannot help ourselves. The amount of gold is either the result of sun tanning or eating a whole bunch of carotene food stuffs, or more likely, he is a cross. Yes, sex links are also crosses, but he may simply be a cross with no sex link intention.

Oh, yes, that can certainly be true as well! No sex linking at all, just a cross of Dom and BR or Dom and Cuckoo Marans, or Dom and something else entirely since barred males pass barring to all their sons, etc. I recall when I bought my first BR rooster-he was positively gold in his hackles from being fed only corn. Within a month or proper nutrition, he was a different boy entirely.

Good luck with your flock, Mandie.