my two brahmas...pics and questions..thanks for looking

[bangor777]

Hi, I have two light brahmas from the same hatch date. Both are supposed to be pullets. One has developed pink/red in her comb while the other remains light yellow. The one with a pink comb is taller, holds her head up high, and has longer tail feathers. What do you think? Is one a roo? if you click on the photos they get bigger. The red/pink color didn't show up that well, but you can still see that they're different.

 

[gritsar]

How old are they? Do the tail feathers on the bigger chick, the one with the pink/red comb, come to a point at the end or is it broad? How about their wing bows (shoulders)? Are they bare on either chick?

 

[bangor777]

hmmm, there are some bare spots on the pink combed one's shoulders, they are three and a half weeks old. the tail feathering is tapered to a point, and longer on the pink combed one. Another thing is yesterday when I had them outside, my dad was working on the coop. When he would run the saw all the other chickens would crouch, this one stuck her head high in the air and looked around. hmmmmmm

 

[gritsar]

I believe you have yourself a roo, but I'm certainly no expert.

 

[Mrs MIA]

That one may be a roo, then. I had the same thing this year... picked up 4 pullets, and one roo that was younger. Turns out one of the pullets is a roo, and I think the one that was sold as a roo is a pullet. Go figure.

 

[bangor777]

one more question....I know that brahmas are slow to develop. Do they also crow at a later age? I figure if he/she crows I'll know for sure

 

[Mrs MIA]

Mine just started at 6-7 weeks...

You should know soon. When you hear a croak from the brooder, it's not a bullfrog!

 

[gritsar]

Yep, mine are trying to crow at 6 weeks too. It sounds as if someone or something is choking them, so of course I always run to check.

 

[bangor777]

Mrs. AK.....did you notice that your male vocalized differently all along? I ask because this particular brahma has always made these wierd trillls/purrs instead of just peeping. Wow, I can obsess with the best of them!

 

[Mrs MIA]

We have one rooster that sounds like a squeeky toy... ee-er! ee-er! And another that sounds like a Kazoo... so that's what we named him. The Brahmas, well, I have noticed that the pullets peep when you pick them up, and the males sound more like Kazoo... but we noticed that one of the "pullets" was bigger than the others, and the comb was darker red and slightly larger. The wattles, such as they are, are more pronounced in the 6 week old males, too. They're now 9.5 weeks old, and the crow is becoming more pronounced, and the "fussing" over the pullets is starting to occur more.

That's about all I can tell you... I've been trying since they were 3 weeks old to tell them apart!

I had to remove all other chickens from the garage to be sure it was one of them that was crowing!