Equus
Chirping
- May 9, 2022
- 29
- 130
- 99
Hello! I'm a newb to chickens, but have been creeping and reading on here for the last 4 months-ish. My family are larger livestock people (horses and cattle). We have 10 chicks, 2 different ages. A batch of 7 that are just over a month old and three at a smidge over 12 weeks. The initial 3 (from the farm supply store) were a bit of a test to see if we liked chickens enough to have more. Turns out we love them. So we ordered 7 more. We have 4 Easter eggers, 3 black stars, 1 ancona, 2 chanteclers. Everything is going well so far. I've been trying to be patient on gender for the older, especially since I'm so close to the age where we'd know for sure, but I go back and forth because of the behavior and such and since all three wont have much for crowns or waddles, i feel like i dont have much to go on but time and feathers. I also don't know how much is pecking order behavior vs male posturing. So pictures of the 3 older babes and opinions please. They came home with us on April 30.
Bird 1: the EE is the more aggressive with the others, chest bumps one of the chateclers often, always on high alert, and has challenged our border collies (doggos are not aggressive with the birds. He acts like a shepherd guard dog when they are out. Although we have taught him on leash to move the gals into the coop at night if they don't go in on their own, the other dog is older and scared of them. She's also on restricted movement because of a blown acl so not out with them much. He is out supervised with us) I go back and forth with this one's gender. The upright posture, the upright tail, and with the aggressive behavior is what makes me wonder. (Great with humans, total lap bird, likes to sit and sleep in laps). Very vocal, but more of a honk right now.
Bird 2: is a buff chantecler with an upright tail. The only one the EE chest bumps with. Again the tail feathering in comparison to the other chatecler is what makes me hesitate on a pullet. Not much noise out of this one. Also great with humans and a lap bird. The EE and this one roost together at night though.
Bird 3: totally think this one is a pullet she walks the walk and talks the talk. She clucks like a hen and postures like a hen. She hangs out most with the EE or alone while out during the day.
Excited to see the opinions of you all! I didn't know how much we needed chicks in our lives until we tried them.
Bird 1: the EE is the more aggressive with the others, chest bumps one of the chateclers often, always on high alert, and has challenged our border collies (doggos are not aggressive with the birds. He acts like a shepherd guard dog when they are out. Although we have taught him on leash to move the gals into the coop at night if they don't go in on their own, the other dog is older and scared of them. She's also on restricted movement because of a blown acl so not out with them much. He is out supervised with us) I go back and forth with this one's gender. The upright posture, the upright tail, and with the aggressive behavior is what makes me wonder. (Great with humans, total lap bird, likes to sit and sleep in laps). Very vocal, but more of a honk right now.
Bird 2: is a buff chantecler with an upright tail. The only one the EE chest bumps with. Again the tail feathering in comparison to the other chatecler is what makes me hesitate on a pullet. Not much noise out of this one. Also great with humans and a lap bird. The EE and this one roost together at night though.
Bird 3: totally think this one is a pullet she walks the walk and talks the talk. She clucks like a hen and postures like a hen. She hangs out most with the EE or alone while out during the day.
Excited to see the opinions of you all! I didn't know how much we needed chicks in our lives until we tried them.
Glad you joined.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
