How reliable a gender indicator is redness of peacomb in Easter Eggers?

[Frazzemrat1]

They would be about eight to ten feet apart that is the edges of the fences from each other, not sure if that's far enough but that's the best I could do?

not sure.

@RoostersAreAwesome thoughts?

 

[bayareapilot]

not sure.

@RoostersAreAwesome thoughts?

I had the thought that I have outdoor privacy fence fabric that I could put on the side facing where the hens would be? Not sure if that would make a difference either.?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I had the thought that I have outdoor privacy fence fabric that I could put on the side facing where the hens would be? Not sure if that would make a difference either.?

I believe it would

 

[NatJ]

... only have two pullets for the two cockerels. Host of what I've been reading seems to indicate that if you don't have enough hens the hens that you have can get over mated. Don't know if that's true since I've only had hens; but it just some of the stuff I read on the website.

Maybe, maybe not.
It's a good idea to plan for a place where you CAN separate them if needed, but I personally would not bother separating them unless/until you do have a problem.

 

[bruceha2000]

I'm afraid I have to agree with the group on Sandy. Rooster red and patchy. I've not had multiple cockerels but I think you are safe for a fair bit of time keeping them both to determine their personalities. Separate housing can work well from what I have read and they don't need to be separated from the 2 pullets any time soon.

And yes a rooster can over breed a favored hen. The person who has one of the YouTube channels I follow has about 18 large fowl hens and one bantam rooster. One of the hens has a pretty bare back.

 

[Mylied]

I'm late to the party but for future, with easter eggers, the more colorful patterned ones are roosters. The plainer ones are female. Exception is white ones, which you have to rely on other signs. I could tell from your earlier pics they were cockerels from their coloring. I once had 11 out of 13 be cockerels. It was insane.

I hope you get it sorted out how you want. Roosters can be a great addition or a pain. Just depends on the chicken.

 

[bayareapilot]

I tend to agree with @Frazzemrat1 , although the photos are blurry, so I can't see if Sandy's hackle feathers are coming in pointed or not.
Mary

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see the two side-by-side, up close,, Norman who is definitely a cockerel and Sandy who has left me wondering. Anyway, I THINK good news,,,, Norman's hackle feather are definitely narrow and pointy while Sandy's appear to be a little wider and are clearly rounded at the tips and NOT pointy . I feel a bit more encouraged now... will see.

 

[ariri30]

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see the two side-by-side, up close,, Norman who is definitely a cockerel and Sandy who has left me wondering. Anyway, I THINK good news,,,, Norman's hackle feather are definitely narrow and pointy while Sandy's appear to be a little wider and are clearly rounded at the tips and NOT pointy . I feel a bit more encouraged now... will see.

Keep us posted

 

[bayareapilot]

Keep us posted

I have an update that just occurred this morning. It was morning and the automatic door opened up, I heard a noise from one of the chicks at first I thought someone was hurt (remember I've only had hens before). Then I saw Sandy standing on the ramp, making the same sound, and I realized it was an attempt at a crow. Now I was holding out the Ray of Hope that Sandy was Sandy female and not Sandy male. The feathers hadn't looked as pointy as Norman who is my confirmed Cockerel, so I was briefly encouraged until today.

Although I have read that pullets will occasionally attempt to Crow like a cockerel - I am now unfortunately thinking and I would simply be holding onto a thread of Hope at that point and that in fact, I now have two cockerels and two pullets.

Okay folks, any ideas? Is there a snowball's chance in hell that the two cockerels we'll get along? Or when they mature will they hurt each other? Something I don't want obviously.

Also any chance that it could be a pullet trying to Crow? I'm really thinking not but you know at this point one gets illogically hopeful.

I got a couple of thoughts that I thought I'd bounce off the group. One, I was wondering if I could put one of the roosters or cockerels, in with my two 10 year old adult hens which are in a separate flock. If that was something to do when would I do it? Would it be better to wait till they get a little bigger cuz right now the rooster are the Cockerel is smaller than my adult hens. The second question if I follow this first approach, would I be better inserting him into the roosting area in the dark I'll let the adult hands meet him in the morning when they all woke up together? Or would doing the latter just be a bad idea, all around..

The second thought I had would be to remove both cockrells and put them in a separate pen with their own coop?

Folks I'm open to suggestions and encouragement

 

[NatJ]

Okay folks, any ideas? Is there a snowball's chance in hell that the two cockerels we'll get along?

Yes, there is a chance of that. Just like hens have a pecking order, so do roosters. Some roosters will sort it all out with bluffing and ruffled feathers.

Be aware, comb injuries bleed badly. So if you find a scary amount of blood one day, don't panic. Look at the combs, and you may find a tiny little peck-mark. If that's all it is, they're fine.

Or when they mature will they hurt each other? Something I don't want obviously.

Depends on the roosters. Game roosters (aka fighting cocks) are known for killing each other. Any other kind of rooster has a very high chance of getting along with other roosters, depending on how much space and how many hens there are. If you have lots of space, they may just choose to stay out-of-sight of each other.

I got a couple of thoughts that I thought I'd bounce off the group. One, I was wondering if I could put one of the roosters or cockerels, in with my two 10 year old adult hens which are in a separate flock.

Yes, although I can't see why you'd want two separate flocks that each have two hens.

If that was something to do when would I do it? Would it be better to wait till they get a little bigger cuz right now the rooster are the Cockerel is smaller than my adult hens. The second question if I follow this first approach, would I be better inserting him into the roosting area in the dark I'll let the adult hands meet him in the morning when they all woke up together? Or would doing the latter just be a bad idea, all around.

You could just put one in and watch what happens (be ready to remove if there's a problem.)

You could let them all out to free range together, and watch what happens (that way they meet in a neutral space, not someone's home coop.)

You could put them in adjoining coops, with wire fencing in between so they can get acquainted gradually (look don't touch method)

You could put the cockerel in a wire cage inside the pen with the older hens (variation of the above).

The second thought I had would be to remove both cockrells and put them in a separate pen with their own coop?

That is also an option.

Obviously, you've got lots of choices!
I personally would try to make a single flock of all six birds, because I prefer to have fewer separate groups, and because it seems that chickens naturally do live in groups larger than two or three. But that's just my thought, and I really don't know what will work best for YOU and for YOUR birds. It might be that the older hens are content the way things are, and may not want change