My flock is now full - but, I think I may have a rooster?

[CluckyCluck]

I'm sorry your first chicky experience was so disheartening for your kids. It'll get better as you learn more, I promise. You may want to focus on Sex-Link chickens like Black Stars, Gold Comets, Cinnamon Queens, etc. They are hybrids specifically designed so that their gender can be determined by color at birth. Much less gender melodrama.

As far as your above question, your rooster to hen ratio can vary according to the rooster's age, but you generally want to keep it around 1 roo to 6 - 10 hens. Roos usually have only two things on their minds: mating the ladies, and protecting the ladies. You need to have enough hens present so that your roo doesn't wear them down with too much 'attention' (this can get serious: like injuries, malnutrition, loss of egg production, etc).

Your younger roos tend to me more clumsy and able to keep up with a larger number of girls, while your older roos are more suave/gentle and slow down (can be kept with a smaller number of girls).

Hope that helps!

Well, that's my second bad chicken experience lol. I'm recovered from the first and loveeee all the hens I got, though they seem to have been overbred, had some mite issues, and just overall health in general was down - they are all doing fabulous and I love how they come waddling as fast as they can when they see me.

I'm sure one must thing she's a goat, cause when I'm feeding them she sneaks out of a hole in the fence and runs behind them following us everywhere.

I would still say this experience has still been good - we payed closer attention this time looking specifically at their face. But still, it was pretty hard for me a novice to tell who was what.

 

[aoxa]

Well, I went back and traded my possible boys in for what I thought was definite girls. I got a barred rock, as the one I had but this one is two weeks old and not 5 weeks old, it has a white spot on the top of the head like you showed me above.

I got a black star (presumably) and some sort of frizzle who knows. The black star (replacing black and white speckled one) and white one, are 4 weeks old he said.

It's so hot right now - I'll see if I can get pictures later or tomorrow. I feel better about them though.

I'm glad he corrected this issue without giving you any problems

Pictures will be great. Though 4 weeks old is still young to sex a frizzle. Hope it turns out to be a hen though!

As for your question about the rooster - I can't imagine my flock without one. They are amazing, if you get the right one. You should have at least 6 hens like Pele mentioned. My barred rock has plenty, and he still prefers 4 of my many girls. They are in desperate need of some hen savers (chicken saddles) they protect their backs from feather damage they cause when mounting.

 

[CluckyCluck]

The Frizzle is just 2 weeks old and really cute as a button. If she turns out to be a boy, I just may have to keep it - but I guess if I had a rooster, I pictured a big busty smooth talkin kinda guy - for some reason, I don't picture frizzles to be such. Am I weird for thinking that way? I hope it just turns out to be a girl. I'm pretty positive on the suspected black star as well. And if the white on the head of the barred rock means girl - then she definitely is.

Will post photos tomorrow after I take some.

Whew, been a long, hot day. Goats are standing guard over the chickens and the little ones are tucked away. I need a bath and bed. Holy moly.

Thank goodness for this message board. I think if I mention the word chicken or egg one more time - my husband may move into the basement.

 

[Angie8eggs]

Hahaha your husband sounds like my husband!

 

[aoxa]

The Frizzle is just 2 weeks old and really cute as a button. If she turns out to be a boy, I just may have to keep it - but I guess if I had a rooster, I pictured a big busty smooth talkin kinda guy - for some reason, I don't picture frizzles to be such. Am I weird for thinking that way? I hope it just turns out to be a girl. I'm pretty positive on the suspected black star as well. And if the white on the head of the barred rock means girl - then she definitely is. Will post photos tomorrow after I take some. Whew, been a long, hot day. Goats are standing guard over the chickens and the little ones are tucked away. I need a bath and bed. Holy moly. Thank goodness for this message board. I think if I mention the word chicken or egg one more time - my husband may move into the basement.

That's how my partner is too. If only our spouses were equally enthused, right?! The white on the face has nothing to do with gender. It's the colour of the bird itself. Darker barring (less white in the stripes) indicates female. Is the frizzle a smooth or curly frizzle? I have a few myself

My youngest one he is 4 weeks old tomorrow, but was 3 weeks in this picture.

Their father, George. If the rooster you keep is a frizzle, you can hatch out chicks and get more! They sell really well! Don't know if you got my comment on one of your pictures. I was shocked to hear that the man told you to pull out their feathers to keep them from flying. Still makes me shudder! Don't you just love Red Sex Links?! They are very friendly. Can't imagine life without them - they also lay like champs! As for your black star, that is another name for a black sex link. The girls will be black with copper in their chest/neck. The boys will be barred.

 

[Pele]

That's how my partner is too. If only our spouses were equally enthused, right?!

The white on the face has nothing to do with gender. It's the colour of the bird itself. Darker barring (less white in the stripes) indicates female.
Is the frizzle a smooth or curly frizzle? I have a few myself

My youngest one <3 She/he is 4 weeks old tomorrow, but was 3 weeks in this picture.

Their father, George. If the rooster you keep is a frizzle, you can hatch out chicks and get more! They sell really well!
Don't know if you got my comment on one of your pictures. I was shocked to hear that the man told you to pull out their feathers to keep them from flying. Still makes me shudder!
Don't you just love Red Sex Links?! They are very friendly. Can't imagine life without them

- they also lay like champs!
As for your black star, that is another name for a black sex link. The girls will be black with copper in their chest/neck. The boys will be barred.

Heehee, that is one studly frizzle! I agree, the idea of someone just pulling out primaries is stomach-churning. Those are anchored to bone!

And I

my Red SLs too. They lay like it's the only thing keeping the world turning, and they have so much friendly personality! Darla likes to hop onto my lap when we eat on the patio. She'll bawk at me for a solid minute, primly adjust her feathers, then hop down and wander away. Either it's a stern lecture on my table manners, or she's catching me up on the daily gossip. I havn't decided which yet.

And CluckyCluck, you may want to give a bantam roo a chance, they have big rooster hearts in their little bodies. Plus it's hilarious to watch them hatch plots on how to overcome the size differences between themselves and their ladies. I remember Leroy from the Barbara thread, and his habit of lying in wait by the dusting holes until the ladies stepped down into them. Heehee, he had his choice of smaller ladies too, but he just couldn't get over his addiction to the big girls.

 

[aoxa]

Heehee, that is one studly frizzle! I agree, the idea of someone just pulling out primaries is stomach-churning. Those are anchored to bone! And I my Red SLs too. They lay like it's the only thing keeping the world turning, and they have so much friendly personality! Darla likes to hop onto my lap when we eat on the patio. She'll bawk at me for a solid minute, primly adjust her feathers, then hop down and wander away. Either it's a stern lecture on my table manners, or she's catching me up on the daily gossip. I havn't decided which yet. And CluckyCluck, you may want to give a bantam roo a chance, they have big rooster hearts in their little bodies. Plus it's hilarious to watch them hatch plots on how to overcome the size differences between themselves and their ladies. I remember Leroy from the Barbara thread, and his habit of lying in wait by the dusting holes until the ladies stepped down into them. Heehee, he had his choice of smaller ladies too, but he just couldn't get over his addiction to the big girls.

Thanks He's actually a sizzle, and produces very nice silkies when they get that gene. He mostly produces silkies, but does produce sizzles, frilkies and smooth feathered babies as well.

Here is his other daughter, Lorraine. Oh the RSLs are a favourite here. The chicks are extremely friendly, and walk all over my boots when I am in the pen. They are ballsy too! My barred rock and silkie hen are sharing a brood of 21. They are all named Penny If we had a few that really stood out, we would name them, but it's too hard to distinguish them apart at 1 week.

Here is Marge with all her little future laying machines We were asked to supply a corner store with free-range eggs. We needed to get some more lol.

This is the original Penny. She is very bare right now. She needs a hen saver desperately, but lays every single day around 7 am. She does not vary from this time. She is a good girl, and will even give us a few double yolkers a month. She is the favourite of everyone here, and we have 109 chickens (minus the new babies that just hatched today. I haven't been home to count them yet ) As for the feather thing, they said to pull out the regular feathers.

Here is the picture. OP: Hope I'm not overstepping anything. I just feel like this guy should be punished for telling you to do this. I know you didn't do it, this is how they arrived.

The man I bought her from said he has 100 + chickens, but also told me to pull out their feathers so they don't fly away (which I of course would not do) and maybe that's what happened?

 

[CluckyCluck]

Aoxa - you really do have an amazingly gorgeous flock! I've spent too much time on your blog looking at your pics! I'm supposed to be working - so it's a good thing I work from home =)

Pele - if one of these little ones I have turns out to be a roo - then it will and I'll just have to keep one. That would make 9 girls, to 1 roo. Sounds perfecto. I'm already talking myself down from going over what I said my limit was, which is 10! I agree, the RSL's are just so adorable - the two new (Rhode Island Reds - but look like sex links to me) ones I got with the 4 chicks haven't realized yet that I'm their food source and come bearing great treats. I assume they will catch on eventually. So it's a separated flock. 4 big girls stick together, 2 big girls stick together, and 4 babies stick together.

Me with 10 acres is dangerous! But it's quickly filling, between my 3 horses, 1 fat pony, 1 onery mini hinny and four fainting goats.

I can already see my newer chicken coop, after my first new one is done. Heaven help me!

Pictures of the new ones coming in just a few.

 

[CluckyCluck]

Aoxa - you're not overstepping.

This guy, he's an opportunist. His goal is to make money and not get hurt doing it I suppose? I asked about them flying away (cause I've never had chickens and assume they can fly) and he said that these ones are too fat to fly (which they were not fat when I got them) and I asked about clipping the feathers. He said they pull them out and the reason is if you clip the feathers, when the birds fly around it can cut you in the face.

Of course as he's standing at my house at 10:30 at night dropping them off - I realize he's much younger than I thought he looked at being just 21 - and he has no care for the animals he raises. I started to question him, but there was absolutely nothing I could say that would change his thought pattern of these being living things that are providing for you. Have a bit more respect.

I did not see any of the hens until the next morning after a HORRIED storm - amazed they made it though the night. But there was the bald one. She's still bald, I have no idea when it's going to grow back. One side seems to be coming in okay. The other is still bald.

Whether they pulled them out, or some other reason they are out - it's a shame they are.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa - you're not overstepping. This guy, he's an opportunist. His goal is to make money and not get hurt doing it I suppose? I asked about them flying away (cause I've never had chickens and assume they can fly) and he said that these ones are too fat to fly (which they were not fat when I got them) and I asked about clipping the feathers. He said they pull them out and the reason is if you clip the feathers, when the birds fly around it can cut you in the face. Of course as he's standing at my house at 10:30 at night dropping them off - I realize he's much younger than I thought he looked at being just 21 - and he has no care for the animals he raises. I started to question him, but there was absolutely nothing I could say that would change his thought pattern of these being living things that are providing for you. Have a bit more respect. I did not see any of the hens until the next morning after a HORRIED storm - amazed they made it though the night. But there was the bald one. She's still bald, I have no idea when it's going to grow back. One side seems to be coming in okay. The other is still bald. Whether they pulled them out, or some other reason they are out - it's a shame they are.

I'm so sorry to hear this Just because someone is young, does not mean they are not capable of being knowing and caring towards their animals. I am 25, and I think I've studied and taken in a lot about breeds and care and management. He seems like a real wise guy (would have used more proper language, but don't feel like getting a warning today They are DEFINITELY not Rhode Island Reds.

This is a RIR. My RIR, Ruby. She is grounded right now. She has been broody for a good month and hatched, and then proceeded to kill her chick. Kicked off the nest and put on time out. I don't know if she meant to or not, but I'm not risking it again As for the flying in your face? What? That is just stupid.. I wouldn't bother clipping wings at all. They don't fly well at all, and never jump my 4 foot fence. None of the breeds I keep do.