Light Sussex genders

[natemoore1986]

I know that at 6 weeks and three days is probably too soon, but I’ve had such awful luck with my rooster to hen ratios, that I’m getting a sinking feeling that I have 5 cockerels and 2 hens from the eBay eggs I hatched.

Five are developing bigger combs and waddles than the other two. If the first picture looks like a pullet despite the larger comb and waddle, then I can breath a sigh of relief for now. You can definitely see rounded hackle feathers in the first picture. The second one is just for comparison of the combs and waddles.

 

[ILoveDaffy]

The first, I think is a cokerel, and 2 I think is pullet.

 

[The Happster]

Any with as much comb as the first is male.
The second is female.

 

[natemoore1986]

Gawd! Why do I get such a disproportionate number of roosters?!?!?!

I let my broody BO sit on three eggs. I got two roosters and one hen. I later let her sit on another egg. It turned out to be a rooster. I tried to hatch a total of 14 FBCM eBay eggs, and only one hatched. It was a rooster (handsome, though). And now, it looks like I'm going to get 5 roosters and two hens????

So, out of 26 eggs, 12 hatched and resulted in 9 roosters. That's 75% roosters!

 

[natemoore1986]

I watched them over a bourbon and coke this afternoon. Five little chickens mock-flogging each other. My luck is awful. How can I kill these cute little guys that let me pick them up?

 

[Sally PB]

Can you make a bachelor pad for them?

 

[The Happster]

I watched them over a bourbon and coke this afternoon. Five little chickens mock-flogging each other. My luck is awful. How can I kill these cute little guys that let me pick them up?

I'm sorry. You can look around and try to re-home them. A bachelor pad would also work.

 

[natemoore1986]

A bachelor pad would take away gardening space, so that's out of the question. And something about 7 roosters crowing each morning and evening doesn't sit right, even though my neighbors don't mind one or two crowing.

I put an add on craigslist. I figure if someone buys one for two or three times the price of a chicken at the store, then they probably won't eat them but instead keep them as pets. So I'm asking $20 each.

I gave away the three other roosters two a friend of a friend who kills and eats them. I guess if that's my last resort, I ought to just do that myself and get over my reluctance. Once they become grown roosters, they aren't as cuddly as when they're young.