I have so many questions... some of my chickens might not be chickens...

[ambersaur]

At the moment I have five new chickens of varied breeds

When we went to get them, we asked specifically for Pullets and were told they were between 6-8 weeks old.
We were told at the time that one of them might turn out to be a rooster, and since then that there's a chance that a few could be.

So in my flock of five I have at least two that could be roosters and if they turn out to be - how will I go introducing new chickens to replace them? I want to have 6 or 7 all around the same age and I can't have roosters where I live!
Any advice on what to do here? Bite the bullet and get more chickens now and risk having two more than planned?
Tips on introducing new birds to the flock?
How long before the pecking order is set and it becomes a problem?
Thanks!

 

[Kikiriki]

Roosters are chickens, they just are not hens.
When you asked if they were pullets, the answer was about age, not sex. When the person said one might be male, it was a good clue that they were straight run chicks, meaning mixed gender.

Just go on interacting with them all, get them used to being around humans, and get them to associate humans with treats.
If any turn out to be male, you can post them as give- aways on BYC or post on Craigslist. If they are friendly, you have a better chance of finding them a home.

But what is making you think some are male?

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I will agree with what Kikiriki has said. I would like to add that these birds are quite small for 6 to 8 weeks.
Where did you aquire them?
What was the pen like that they were in?

It looks like the bird in the second picture has some feathering issues. At first I though you had a Naked Neck, but the feather loss on his legs is not typical of that breed. They also look very pale, which could be mites or another parasite.
I would suggest treating for mites first. It is fairly easy and cheap to treat and there are several threads here that will explain how to do it.

I would also suggest some vitamins/electrolytes. Quick Chik is good, or you can make your own.

You shouldn't get ahead of yourself with new birds until these guys are settled in. There are lots of threads and info on adding new birds, but it is stressful on both the new birds and the original ones.

 

[ambersaur]

@Kikiriki sorry about my not knowing the proper names for them all yet! I asked specifically for females, after getting them we went to another hatchery and they told us that a few of them were most likely males due to their crest sizes.
No problem finding them a home as I called the hatchery where we got them and if they turn out to be males we can take them back there and she will keep them.
Thanks for helping with my phrasing! And your advice


@TaraBellaBirds
Yeah we were told they looked more like 3 or 4 weeks, thanks for your advice!

 

[NickyPick]

When you asked if they were pullets, the answer was about age, not sex.

?? Pullets are female, so that is asking about sex too. If she was asking about young roosters, it would be cockerels.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thanks for helping with my phrasing! And your advice

@TaraBellaBirds
Yeah we were told they looked more like 3 or 4 weeks, thanks for your advice!

Your phrasing was right to begin with. As NickyPick said, pullets are young females. Young males are cockerels. If you were just asking about young chickens, you would have said "chicks". Good to hear that you can take back any cockerels that you get.

 

[Kikiriki]

I know what she asked. I was pointing out that the answer she got avoided answering the question with misdirection. Example:

Q: Is this food spoiled?

A: The food was cooked two days ago.

So what if it was cooked two days ago. If it has been sitting on a counter for two days unrefrigerated....

Get it now?