I’m worried I may have a male?!

[jolenesdad]

Several weeks at least I’d assume ... but he will become more standoffish as time goes by which you probably can notice now compared to a few weeks ago.

 

[Melissacoop]

I didn’t really think this through enough. I know the girls make noise too. I’m just hoping they can’t be heard from the front of the house. My neighbors in the back won’t be a problem if they do hear and find out.

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

No crow collars don’t completely stop them from crowing. They still do but it’s dampened a bit. Keep in mind with and without the collar, roosters are still roosters. They will bite. They will scratch. They will attack. These collars do not take away the testosterone

Pretty sure that goes without saying, some roosters will bite and scratch, not all. Even the ones that do, You can just tame them up.

 

[Melissacoop]

Sexing isn’t 100% on most day old chicks.

How old is your son? My boy loves the chickens so much I won’t consider adding a rooster until he is much older. Too many unknown circumstances.

My son is 17. He liked to hold them when they were tiny but now they don’t like to be picked up.

 

[Melissacoop]

Thank you all for your help. It’s not what I wanted to hear but appreciate the honesty.

 

[coltgrizzz]

Pretty sure that goes without saying, some roosters will bite and scratch, not all. Even the ones that do, You can just tame them up.

Sorry just felt like this fit lol. All the roos i’ve ever come to know (especially ones around 9-12 months of age) have been quite hostile especially if you try to touch them. My last rooster who got adopted about a month ago could not lift himself up into the coop at night since he was a heavy meat bird. I didn’t want him on the ground since it was winter and cold so every night i had to life him up. I would have to tuck my hands under his wings or else he would tear into my skin

 

[Melissacoop]

Sorry just felt like this fit lol. All the roos i’ve ever come to know (especially ones around 9-12 months of age) have been quite hostile especially if you try to touch them. My last rooster who got adopted about a month ago could not lift himself up into the coop at night since he was a heavy meat bird. I didn’t want him on the ground since it was winter and cold so every night i had to life him up. I would have to tuck my hands under his wings or else he would tear into my skin

Oh wow! Yea I will be going back to the feed store tomorrow. I remember when I was buying the chicks there was a woman in there that said she takes unwanted cockerels.

 

[Lady Lionheart]

Personally i’ve always found that you can clearly tell at 4-5 months but some chicks mature quicker then others. Hell i had a chick that started crowing at 3 months old. Just hold off and catch your breath till then

My two glws started crowing at 8 weeks old! I thought that was really early. They all developed super fast!

 

[coltgrizzz]

My two glws started crowing at 8 weeks old! I thought that was really early. They all developed super fast!

Wow i didn’t think they could start that early! Every bird is different i guess!

 

[coltgrizzz]

Oh wow! Yea I will be going back to the feed store tomorrow. I remember when I was buying the chicks there was a woman in there that said she takes unwanted cockerels.

Did you buy them from a local place or more of a commercial business like tractor supply? If i remember correctly tractor supply does take “pullets” that turned out to be cockerels and will slaughter them for you. So if you did get it from tractor supply and don’t want to have them slaughtered i wouldn’t recommend bringing them back!