Is This Another Cockerel???!!!

[Nikb]

Hi all! We started off with a flock of 8 and 1 was definitely a cockerel and 2 in question. One is a buff brahma bantam and has a red comb...the farmer we got them from thinks he’s a boy. The second one is a blue australorp and the farmer thinks she’s a girl. I think the blue lorp is a boy...he’s pretty bossy and pecks at all the girls. The buff bantam does also. They are both 6 weeks. What are your thoughts??

 

[chickenenthusiasts5698]

Both look like cockerels to me.

 

[Nikb]

Both look like cockerels to me.

That’s what I thought...they both harass the girls!

 

[Nicole Lauren]

I’m following your little thread here I’m a newbie also and have 5 Buff Brahma Bantams (all supposed to be hens). They are 3.5 weeks, two have a comb slightly bigger then the others. We shall see!

 

[Nikb]

I’m following your little thread here I’m a newbie also and have 5 Buff Brahma Bantams (all supposed to be hens). They are 3.5 weeks, two have a comb slightly bigger then the others. We shall see!

I did notice some behavior changes in ours around 4-4.5 weeks. He went from the sweetest chick ever to pecking me hard whenever I reached into the brooder. I mean like biting pecking. He has slowed down on that and is easy to handle again (he’s 6 weeks). He also butts chests with the other suspected cockerel and he also harasses the 4 hens we have. He likes to strut his stuff and show them who’s boss. He is a character with loads of personality. When we brought him to the farm we got him from recently to check his sex, the farmer was more interested in the color of his comb rather than the size. Our guy’s isn’t that large as they have “pea combs” but his is really red and is definitely a boy. You may see a lot of threads out there that say some breeds develop early and are still hens, but buff brahma bantams are not. Posting pics on here can help identify the sex too. Good luck, keep us posted!

 

[Nicole Lauren]

Good to know. Thank you! I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for that sort of behavior. Kinda makes me wanna have at least one rooster they sure are pretty;I just hope we don’t end up with two out of the five.

 

[Nikb]

Good to know. Thank you! I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for that sort of behavior. Kinda makes me wanna have at least one rooster they sure are pretty;I just hope we don’t end up with two out of the five.

I am afraid one of them does look a lot like mine did at that age. The other has a very pale comb and looks like a pullet. We ended up with 3 Roos out of 8 and we lost one of our brahma bantams early on from a birth defect. This is the hard part about raising chickens!

 

[Nicole Lauren]

I thought it looked like yours too! Thanks for the feedback and sorry for losing your chick. We live in the country and I’m afraid of this happening too and preparing my little kids that this could happen! But we will do our best to keep them all safe

 

[Nicole Lauren]

I am afraid one of them does look a lot like mine did at that age. The other has a very pale comb and looks like a pullet. We ended up with 3 Roos out of 8 and we lost one of our brahma bantams early on from a birth defect. This is the hard part about raising chickens!

Update we ended up with two roosters out of the five buff Brahma bantams! Pretty little things but now out of the 12 chickens,3 are roosters. 2 batams and 1 barred rock. Hopefully they can all get along

 

[LaFleche]

The ratio of 3/9 is not healthy for your pullets/hens. One rooster will be enough, otherwise they will soon be stressed out by overmating.