My wife and I got some chickens (started with 4 now at 40) in April this year (2020). 32 were added over the course of two to three weeks after we got the first batch. Currently I have 4 that are about 6 weeks old that I have had living and sleeping with (in separated confinement with a baby gate in the run and coop) until they are a little bigger and can defend themselves from a couple of the “jerks” in my flock.
Anyways I have some questions here and hope y’all can help.
1. I have what I believe is an Americana roo (Easter egger) but much wife is certain it’s a hen because we got it from T.S. And it was sexed. See photos attached. It crows, it has pointy feathers on its neck and saddle area. I’m bummed it’s a roo but can’t do anything about it. Am I right it’s a roo though? None of my birds have laid eggs yet though I expect them to around the end of this month.
2. How many roosters should I have in my flock? I think I have 4 based on the combs and wattles of some but I’ve heard that is not always accurate. Pretty much everything I’ve read is arguable as to its accuracy of is it a male or female. Cause folks have seen the traits on both genders. Spurs, combs and wattles, saddle feathers etc...
3. I ask about how many Roos I should have because if it’s one per ten I need to cull my flock some. I do have one bantam that I think is a roo and is a pretty big jerk to a few of the birds always biting at their feathers and hanging on forcing them to run away from it.
4. I don’t have a roof on the run (financial issue and it’s rather large to do on my own. As a result I have had a couple bantams fly over (I get it their small) an now I have some of the larger birds getting up there on the fence contemplating if they should go to the other side (I normally go out when I’m home and shoo them back in to the run. Any advice or ideas? I have a fox I’m sure of it and don’t want any to get loose when I’m not home.
I am going to try and remove this fox from the equation once I have some time
I have a 30x20 foot run and Allow them to free range in the woods and field on occasion.
Their coop is 10x10 with perches inside for all of them
They have ten nesting boxes
Their gravity feeder is a 30 gallon trash can with 5 or 6 holes for them to eat out of
They have a gravity water can connected to a rain barrel
are these two birds male or female? What is a guaranteed way to tell short of them laying eggs? I don’t want to cull any of my hens by accident if I need to cull some of my roosters
Anyways I have some questions here and hope y’all can help.
1. I have what I believe is an Americana roo (Easter egger) but much wife is certain it’s a hen because we got it from T.S. And it was sexed. See photos attached. It crows, it has pointy feathers on its neck and saddle area. I’m bummed it’s a roo but can’t do anything about it. Am I right it’s a roo though? None of my birds have laid eggs yet though I expect them to around the end of this month.
2. How many roosters should I have in my flock? I think I have 4 based on the combs and wattles of some but I’ve heard that is not always accurate. Pretty much everything I’ve read is arguable as to its accuracy of is it a male or female. Cause folks have seen the traits on both genders. Spurs, combs and wattles, saddle feathers etc...
3. I ask about how many Roos I should have because if it’s one per ten I need to cull my flock some. I do have one bantam that I think is a roo and is a pretty big jerk to a few of the birds always biting at their feathers and hanging on forcing them to run away from it.
4. I don’t have a roof on the run (financial issue and it’s rather large to do on my own. As a result I have had a couple bantams fly over (I get it their small) an now I have some of the larger birds getting up there on the fence contemplating if they should go to the other side (I normally go out when I’m home and shoo them back in to the run. Any advice or ideas? I have a fox I’m sure of it and don’t want any to get loose when I’m not home.
I am going to try and remove this fox from the equation once I have some time
I have a 30x20 foot run and Allow them to free range in the woods and field on occasion.
Their coop is 10x10 with perches inside for all of them
They have ten nesting boxes
Their gravity feeder is a 30 gallon trash can with 5 or 6 holes for them to eat out of
They have a gravity water can connected to a rain barrel
are these two birds male or female? What is a guaranteed way to tell short of them laying eggs? I don’t want to cull any of my hens by accident if I need to cull some of my roosters
!
