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

[aoxa]

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.

10 Acres!! You need more. lol I have 2 acres and don't have any grass damage yet. Doubt I will. They all live in the barn, but if I had to build coops for them, it would definitely be harder to have more.

Thanks for reading my blog My chickens appreciate it! I am at work too.. No one has to know

 

[CluckyCluck]

Okay. I dunno, now as I look at the pictures I'm thinking they all look like roos. I'm going crazy I think. But really, compared to the others in the box these ones definitely looked like girls, except the frizzle, I saw no difference in any of them.

Here is the new Black Star? I have no idea what it is, and he thought black star, but he really doesn't know. Hopefully SHE - is 4 weeks old. He hatched them himself., He said the white one and the black one were from the same batch of eggs. As well as the speckled one I had.






These two are oh so cute. The barred rock has a full crop pushing off to the right side of his body. I don't know if it's still full from yesterday, or filled from whats in there overnight? But it's REAL full and hasn;t gone down.





The white on the head is what made me think it was a girl





And here is a close up of the - who knows what?

 

[CluckyCluck]

Do birds really grow that much in two weeks? There seems to be such a big difference between these two week chicks and the 4 week chicks?

 

[Majd]

The white one is sure a hen, The first barred rock is a boy for sure as well as the last one but the one left i'm not shure but seems to be a roo as well b/c of the comb...

 

[chickenlover89]

Okay. I dunno, now as I look at the pictures I'm thinking they all look like roos. I'm going crazy I think. But really, compared to the others in the box these ones definitely looked like girls, except the frizzle, I saw no difference in any of them.

Here is the new Black Star? I have no idea what it is, and he thought black star, but he really doesn't know. Hopefully SHE - is 4 weeks old. He hatched them himself., He said the white one and the black one were from the same batch of eggs. As well as the speckled one I had.






These two are oh so cute. The barred rock has a full crop pushing off to the right side of his body. I don't know if it's still full from yesterday, or filled from whats in there overnight? But it's REAL full and hasn;t gone down.





The white on the head is what made me think it was a girl





And here is a close up of the - who knows what?

I don't know about any breeds, but i know about the barred rocks. They are both roosters, the way that you know is they are light, and they don't have the black on the front of their legs that hens have. sorry

 

[aoxa]

Okay. I dunno, now as I look at the pictures I'm thinking they all look like roos. I'm going crazy I think. But really, compared to the others in the box these ones definitely looked like girls, except the frizzle, I saw no difference in any of them. Here is the new Black Star? I have no idea what it is, and he thought black star, but he really doesn't know. Hopefully SHE - is 4 weeks old. He hatched them himself., He said the white one and the black one were from the same batch of eggs. As well as the speckled one I had. These two are oh so cute. The barred rock has a full crop pushing off to the right side of his body. I don't know if it's still full from yesterday, or filled from whats in there overnight? But it's REAL full and hasn;t gone down. The white on the head is what made me think it was a girl And here is a close up of the - who knows what?

Oh no. Yeah.. That barred rock is a boy again. The white on the head is more indicative of a boy at a young age. Girls will be very dark with only a tiny white dot (usually), but that only works maybe 90% of the time. The frizzle mix is not frizzled. It is probably just a smooth frizzle. It looks to be part polish. I wouldn't haphazard a guess as to gender on that one. The other two you replaced are boys. Black Star is another name for Black Sex Link, and that is not one.

This is a black star (they usually look similar), but that is just a mix. Remember that barred girls will be really dark in colour.

Like my girls here. Comb should be nothing at all at 4 weeks for a girl. I'm sorry you are going through this again. It's too bad I couldn't go help you pick out the girls *sigh* I do think he isn't meaning to do this (the young man who sold you these guys). I think he means well, but is inexperienced and can't pick out the boys as well as some that have gone through the growing process of these types of birds. I've done a lot of research and spend a lot of time in the breed and gender section. I know what to look for. I'd give you some real pullets if you weren't so far away.

 

[aoxa]

http://www.thai-farm.com/sexing-barred-plymouth-rocks-chickens/

 

[CluckyCluck]

lol wait...so what you're telling me is I traded 3 boys for 3 boys?

I guess I can only laugh at myself. I'm sure to experienced people it's just easy to tell. For me and the boy, not so easy lol.

The polish/sizzle frizzle dee has disappeared. There's no predators other than possibly a hawk - but I've never seen one around my property. Hopefully he wandered off and doesn't know how to get back to his place yet but the kids are searching for him. So, maybe at 2 weeks they shoudln't roam with the big girls? I'm at a loss.

I'm just gonna enjoy em, boys girls whatever. If the barred turns out to be a boy (and there is only one pictured above) then that will be the rooster.

I can read all the information in the world, but I suppose nothing is as good as experience. I wish I had chicken friends who lived here lol.

 

[aoxa]

lol wait...so what you're telling me is I traded 3 boys for 3 boys?

I guess I can only laugh at myself. I'm sure to experienced people it's just easy to tell. For me and the boy, not so easy lol.

The polish/sizzle frizzle dee has disappeared. There's no predators other than possibly a hawk - but I've never seen one around my property. Hopefully he wandered off and doesn't know how to get back to his place yet but the kids are searching for him. So, maybe at 2 weeks they shoudln't roam with the big girls? I'm at a loss.

I'm just gonna enjoy em, boys girls whatever. If the barred turns out to be a boy (and there is only one pictured above) then that will be the rooster.

I can read all the information in the world, but I suppose nothing is as good as experience. I wish I had chicken friends who lived here lol.

When I first started, I had a young chicken that got stuck in the corner of my coop that wasn't blocked off. They can get in the weirdest predicaments. It is very possible that it got lost to predation as well. I'm sorry to hear that, as it was very cute.

I have also lost a full grown fat hen for a good 4 hours. Found her after.. I was stunned. I searched forever for her. Normally they suggest keeping young chickens like this penned until they know where to go in when they sense danger. I let my chicks free range after 6 weeks if they are standard size.

If I were you, I'd keep these ones and just get more pullets in the future. Do you have a feed store? Normally they can order in sexed chicks for you.

 

[CluckyCluck]

Duh. I went back to page three of this thread and CLEARLY you said, the boy will have more white than the girl, and I got it wrong. I went for the all white head and was so proud of myself for remembering that tidbit about sexing them, which of course turns out to be backwards - I guess I'm meant to have a barred rock roo! Fine!

Additionally, I do realize being young doesn't automatically mean irresponsible. But this guy looked to be in his 30's so I was VERY surprised when he said he was just 21 - and his attitude was that of an opportunist ( sneaky dude ) and one that just didnt have the best interest of the animal. He would have sold me his farm if he could have - he was trying to sell me ducks and rabbits and telling me how much I can get for my eggs at the market, and how people lie and buy cows from whereever people get cows and then pass them off as pasture fed etc.

I'll trust the 15 year old boy back yard breeder over that man on any day.