My last shot at this - pretty much sure by now!

[ASD Dad]

I picked the black one up for a few minutes and paraded him around the others while petting him. He was fine with me and I heard that can help calm them. If he is aggressive I dont want to re-home him! He/she will be going regardless unless he gets super calm and an egg pops out.

The Cochin cockerel is so laid back. He loves to be carried and hasnt attacked anything. He is my kids favorite by far. The Laced bird is pretty enough that my wife wants to keep him but I am worried about having two boys with just two girls. We have 6 more birds that are getting ready to be introduced to the bigger ones that are Easter Eggers. They are all pullets according to the farm supply store...

 

[JedJackson]

I picked the black one up for a few minutes and paraded him around the others while petting him. He was fine with me and I heard that can help calm them. If he is aggressive I dont want to re-home him! He/she will be going regardless unless he gets super calm and an egg pops out.

The Cochin cockerel is so laid back. He loves to be carried and hasnt attacked anything. He is my kids favorite by far. The Laced bird is pretty enough that my wife wants to keep him but I am worried about having two boys with just two girls. We have 6 more birds that are getting ready to be introduced to the bigger ones that are Easter Eggers. They are all pullets according to the farm supply store...

Hopefully they are all pullets. It's still not really enough pullets for 2 roosters, though, unless you separate them. In all likelihood, the Wyandotte would be dominant over the Cochin, and he could make his life miserable if he is aggressive. And he could injure him.
It's not 100% certain that will happen, but definitely keep your eye on them and have a back up plan just in case.

 

[kwhites634]

So I have posted these same birds 3 times now and only once has there been a 100% agreement on cockerel vs. pullet. I am 99% sure I know each one now but I wanted to get some experts opinions. Several of these were 50/50 just 2 weeks ago but they sure have changed in that time!

Our biggest issue is we paid a lot extra from a local breeder who pretty much promised pullets. Out of the 6 birds we bought I am pretty sure 3-5 are boys! Not happy about it at all as that leaves us with just two egg layers and a lot of wasted money and time. She already took back one bird (that is why there are only 4 birds in photos) that was a definite cockerel but it was a big pain and borderline ugly so if any of these are cockerels they will be re-homed or culled. Cant have 2 hens and 3 roos!

Pretty sure there are 3 cockerels and 2 pullets in these photos. The only boy we wanted in the first place is the Cochin to the left of first photo. Hopefully he is definitely a boy (he is crowing a lot). I have a feeling that one other could be a cockerel though (meaning all 4 in that first photo)... If we seriously end up with 4 boys and 1 girl it's going to get really ugly at the lady's farm this weekend... We're sticking with the small local farm supply store from now on.

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Don't make the mistake of relying too heavily on the farm supply store, either. The last time I had a flock of chickens I ordered 6 RIR pullets & a RIR cockerel. I didn't know a lot then (still don't) but a white RIR rooster somehow didn't sound right, so I got on BYC & learned that what I'd bought were RSL's, not pure RIR's at all, and that the first generation roosters are white. They all turned out to be great birds, & produced loads of eggs, but they weren't what I'd ordered.

Fast forward to this past March. I was looking for pullets of a breed known for broodiness. Specifically, I wanted Cochins; they were 2nd most popular broody-prone breeds on a ranking I'd read. Cochin chicks just weren't available, but I was in another branch of the same co-op chain from years prior when I saw a bin of 2-3 day old Buff Orpingtons for sale. The BO's are high up in the rankings I'd seen. The minimum purchase was 5, and they were supposed to all be pullets. It didn't take long to determine that one of them was a cockerel, which was alright by me; I wanted a BO rooster anyway.

Good luck

 

[kwhites634]

Agree with above... and yes, the blue is a pullet
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At about what age are the rounded & pointed saddle feathers distinguishable?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

At about what age are the rounded & pointed saddle feathers distinguishable?

12 weeks is Chicken puberty when those things pop out.

 

[kwhites634]

12 weeks is Chicken puberty when those things pop out.

Thanks. I have a couple BCM's I'm curious about, & they're just a tad short of 3 months.

 

[ronott1]

So I have posted these same birds 3 times now and only once has there been a 100% agreement on cockerel vs. pullet. I am 99% sure I know each one now but I wanted to get some experts opinions. Several of these were 50/50 just 2 weeks ago but they sure have changed in that time!

Our biggest issue is we paid a lot extra from a local breeder who pretty much promised pullets. Out of the 6 birds we bought I am pretty sure 3-5 are boys! Not happy about it at all as that leaves us with just two egg layers and a lot of wasted money and time. She already took back one bird (that is why there are only 4 birds in photos) that was a definite cockerel but it was a big pain and borderline ugly so if any of these are cockerels they will be re-homed or culled. Cant have 2 hens and 3 roos!

Pretty sure there are 3 cockerels and 2 pullets in these photos. The only boy we wanted in the first place is the Cochin to the left of first photo. Hopefully he is definitely a boy (he is crowing a lot). I have a feeling that one other could be a cockerel though (meaning all 4 in that first photo)... If we seriously end up with 4 boys and 1 girl it's going to get really ugly at the lady's farm this weekend... We're sticking with the small local farm supply store from now on.

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I am sorry about the breeder telling you they were all pullets. Some use wives tails to tell gender. The breeds you have are not sex links or auto sexing so you cannot tell by feathering at hatch. Vent sexing is the only way and only professionals good at that.

To me it is a type of fraud. some of the barred breeds have about a 75% chance by seeing a spot on the head but that is not good enough to sell them as pullets or cockerels

 

[getaclue]

ASD dad, the black one is probably a Jersey Giant, not a BA. The eyes are not solid black as with a BA. It will probably be very slow to develop, which is actually a good thing.
For those dealing with some cockerel aggression, it's not uncommon when they start getting sexually mature. They have an overload of hormones, and not a lot of good sense to go with it. Normally I put mine into rooster training at that stage, for those that need it. Typically, it's not permanent. Just a lapse of good sense for a little while. Rooster training does wonders. I got this from another member on here, and it's worked fine for me.

I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.

 

[MROO]

That last black Australorp isnt a cockerel? I swear it crows now and then and is getting very aggressive. It attacked my father in law and drew blood on his calf the other day when he was dropping off some frozen watermelon for them to eat. It also goes after my dogs on the other side of the fence.

I wouldn't care WHAT gender or breed the black one is ... with behavior like that, it'd be on the short list for freezer camp!

 

[getaclue]

Give rooster training a try first. It usually works quick. I've only ever had 2 cockerels that showed signs of aggression. I got them under control quickly, and have never had a moments trouble from them since. Again, at that age it's usually a hormone thing, and easy to get under control. Using the method I posted, within 2 days, they were under control. Within a week, they were fine.