Is just over 3 weeks too early to tell anything?

[smnytx]

I am in awe of the people here who are able to tell breed and gender! So, I am bringing my pictures to confirm what I hope is true - that my chix are all pullets and that they are the breed they were sold as. They are three weeks and 3 days old now (or so I think).

Chick #1, (my runt) Rocky. She was sold as a Barred Rock:

Chick #2, (my alpha girl) Rhody. The guy called her a "production red," but the label on her brooder-ful of chicks was Rhode Island Red. I don't know the difference. This is by far the biggest of the three (she weighs probably twice as much as Rocky), and very confident and fearless (hence my rooster worries):

and a close-up of her feathers, since y'all seem to be able to figure things out from those:

Chick #3, (the wacky one) Racket. Her brooder was labeled "Aracauna" (the feed store got them from Ideal Hatchery), but from what I read here, she is probably just a mutt - and hopefully one that will give me blue or green eggs! I am including a shot I took tonight of her foot, but the color reads much lighter - more blue-green - in sunlight:

So, there are the three amigas. Please let me know if you suspect any might be a roo, or if any are definitely NOT what I think they are.

Thanks in advance! (they're cute, aren't they?

)

 

[tazcat70]

I can tell you that my RIR chicks comb and wattles are much redder than yours and more pronounced. Mine are 3 weeks as well so I am going to say girls all the way around! But Since I have been a chicken owner for 3 weeks..you may want a second opinion!

Tonya
Kansas

 

[Gracie_Chickie]

They look like girls to me. I have 2 Barred Rocks, 5 RIRs, and and 2 "mutts." I have 1 RIR that was named Ruby, but alas, I believe Ruby is a Rudy! At 5 weeks, "she" towers above the rest. The othe 4 RIRs look like yours. Also, 2 Delawares, 2SL Wyandottes.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i wouldn't worry about Rhody. Rhode Island Reds are fairly large chickens and can be, not aggressive, but head strong. The last batch of RIRs i raised i had to rehome, as they were quite determined to rule the roost and kept beating up on my favorite chicken Penny.

 

[eggchel]

Comb color on all your chicks would currently indicate girls in spite of the Production Red having a slightly more prominent comb.

Just watch their comb. If it turns red anytime before the chick is 3 months old then it is a cockerel. Often you will see the red starting to show by just 3 to 5 weeks.
Pullets combs will gradually get a fleshy pinkish but dont turn red until they are nearly ready to lay around 4 to 6 or 8 months depending on the breed.
Of course the cockerel will be crowing well before then except possibly with some very large or slower growing breeds like giant cochins and brahmas.

None of this applies to Silkies, LOL. They like to keep you guessing.

The main difference between a RIR and a Production red is that the latter are hatchery stock that are bred for egg production rather than to the breed type, such as for showing. The color on an RIR is deeper red.

You are correct that your "Araucana" is most likely a mutt. Although some hatcheries may have birds that meet the breed standards for Ameraucanas, it is unlikely they are actually selling rumpless, tufted Araucanas . Most often they are EE (Easter Eggers) and may lay blue, green, pink, or beige/brown eggs. There is nothing wrong with EEs, except that you cant show them. Some of my favorite pet chickens have been EEs.


Chel

 

[2mnypets]

I can tell you that my Reds combs and waddles were bigger than my other breeds and I feared a lot of cockerels at first since I bought them straight run. I found out later that everything with them is just bigger and more stubborn. That being said though, they are the first to greet me like "watcha got for us today mom?"

 

[SeaChick]

Your Rhode Island Red looks just like our Hazel did at that age. She was also very outgoing, didn't "clique" with the other girls so much, kind of a loner, and HUGE compared to the other 4 girls. As she matured her stance was much more upright, and we were really afraid she was a roo. Thankfully, she is not (just laid her second egg yesterday!) but I am a little worried because she's just suddenly turned into a terrible, mean bully. All of a sudden. She was quite sweet until this week.

Anyway, it took until she was about 15 weeks old before we felt 100% sure she was a pullet..... so you may have a long wait. But for now, she looks just like our girl did.

Here is Hazel at about 2 1/2 weeks:

and at about 5 weeks:

and Phoebe (Barred Rock) at about 2-3 weeks:

 

[chickenlady]

Definately all girls!

 

[smnytx]

I couldn't ask for better replies if I'd ordered and paid for them!

Thank you all. I will keep an eye on those combs!

SeaChick - your RIR and BR look eerily like my girls - and the pic with the RIR and the black bird shows how much bigger the RIR was - much like Rhody and my other two.

She's not a bully - actually, she's quite calm. She's just sort of fearless and the other two are such - uh - CHICKENS, that they really get wigged out when she's not there to keep things even.

I hope she doesn't go through a personality change when she hits egglaying age! But mostly I hope the girls stay girls...

 

[tazcat70]

As she matured her stance was much more upright, and we were really afraid she was a roo.

On my little red, his comb and wattles are HUGE and RED compared to yours.

Tonya​