He's or she's?

[yellowswirl]

Ok, So I totally a newbie here. My littles are 2.5 weeks old. I got them all at the same time and they looked the same. But now 2 of them seem so different from the others.

They are much bigger (like almost double the size) and their feathers are coming in differently.Could they be roosters? Is it too early to tell? They do eat more. I think they sleep with their heads in the food and wake up nibbling.

Really hope they are she's and not he's...



Thanks!
Sonja

PS, they were pullets at Tractor Supply

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

Can you post pics of the face? It might be to young but that will help with guesses.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Rather than being a matter of being male/female, I suspect this is a matter of having inadvertently gotten some meat birds rather than the laying birds you were looking for.

 

[SJchickens]

Rather than being a matter of being male/female, I suspect this is a matter of having inadvertently gotten some meat birds rather than the laying birds you were looking for.

x2

 

[yellowswirl]

This on one of the smaller ones:




This is one of the ones that's much larger:


I really hope their not meat birds.
Thanks!

 

[Rowsdower]

They are indeed meat birds and the last one is a roo.

 

[deathfromabove]

That large one looks like a male and looks like a meat bird to me too.

 

[Rowsdower]

If you do not intend to process them, you really need to put that little guy on a diet. Cornish Xs will actually get too large to walk.

 

[yellowswirl]

But, we've been calling "her" Buttercup....

Not to be ignorant, but how does one take care of a meat bird vs a layer? I did read that they don't live as long because of how fast they grow, so how long is that? And do I need to keep them separated before the girls start laying eggs? Can male meat birds make layer babies?

This is the other one that's really big:



How do you put one on a diet?

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

I would say roo.