I don't think I know anything about my chickies (pic heavy)

[BlazeJester]

I'm not convinced the black one is male... but it could be.

Where did you get these chicks? Was there a sexing guarantee? Hatcheries will usually give you a refund or credit if the sexing was less than 90% accurate. If you got them from an individual, I'd strongly recommend letting them know that their "sexing technique" is either completely bogus or backwards. There are a lot of old wives methods that people are completely sold on. Honestly, though, if it was that easy to sex chicks, nobody would end up with cockerels who didn't want them.

 

[riverwed070707]

ohhhhh You have all roosters sorry
At frist the red one look lighter in color but now I'm saying all roos.

Wait ALL?!? As in Winnie is a male too?! She was the only one I was convinced wasn't a male!!

 

[riverwed070707]

I'm not convinced the black one is male... but it could be.

Where did you get these chicks? Was there a sexing guarantee? Hatcheries will usually give you a refund or credit if the sexing was less than 90% accurate. If you got them from an individual, I'd strongly recommend letting them know that their "sexing technique" is either completely bogus or backwards. There are a lot of old wives methods that people are completely sold on. Honestly, though, if it was that easy to sex chicks, nobody would end up with cockerels who didn't want them.

It was just a backyard chicken owner who decided to hatch some this year. He had a great setup but just got the impression he wasn't overly experienced. I was fine with that and thought my odds of success in keeping them alive was better getting them locally (2.5 hours away anyway) was better than my options for having them shipped since I wanted such a small quantity. He didn't "guarantee" per say but he said he was about 90% accurate like the hatcheries. I haven't contacted him at this point since it is so far but if I truly have all roos, I'm going to see if he will trade me for pullets. Sucks though because we've raised these ones and they know us and we're kind of attached now

 

[BlazeJester]

His "ameraucanas" are easter eggers. Don't know if I mentioned that before.

I have ordered from My Pet Chicken several times and would order from them again or Meyer hatchery, the actual site where MPC birds are incubated. Meyer is less expensive and has nearly all of the same birds. Shipping is expensive, but the birds are fantastic and after dealing with several individuals this year, I think I'd prefer the security of professional sexing over dealing with "what to do with the roos".

Another possibility is to order from Ideal or another hatchery that has lower shipping costs, and fill the remainder of your order with basic laying pullets that you can sell to offset the cost. I have not had birds around more than a few days once I posted on CraigsList, even the unsexed ones.

 

[Acresofchickens]

So sorry about all roos.

 

[riverwed070707]

Ya it wasn't so much breed I was concerned with, it was sex and I guess I thought if I got 5 and we ended up with 2-4 healthy pullets I'd be good with that. I def didn't expect to lose two in the first week and have 3 roos left over

Shipping is what got me with MPC -- super expensive! My local feed store has 7 chicks right now that they are trying to get rid of becuase people ordered and never picked them up. Thinking about going to get 3 or 4 but wanted to know what I was dealing with first becuase while our chicks have a good sized run and get lots of garden time, the coop is only 4x4 and I don't want to crowd them come winter. Ugh the perils of chicken rearing... this isn't starting off the best for us.

 

[Chickerchalk]

Quote:
this one looks like a barred rock

 

[riverwed070707]

this one looks like a barred rock

But doesn't he seem too dark to be a BR male? Yet his comb and waddles are too red to be a BR female. Is that just because its not likely purebred?

 

[Chickerchalk]

well..
the bars arent really sopost to be Light.......

 

[riverwed070707]

I totally believe you, I had just noticed in the threads about BRs one trait people attributed to distinguishing sex was that the males tend to have more overall white making them look generally lighter in color but I could totally be off base. My only justification is that I've looked at like 10,000 pics today.