Need help determining sex of my chickens

[dadschicks]

So our family bought these chicks for my husband for Father's Day this year. We thought it was a great idea, but he is less excited about it. Needless to say, these lovely ladies (I hope) are now mine to care for. I have anxiously been waiting and got my first egg today. After reading all evening on this website I am beginning to worry that some of them may actually be young roosters. I just assumed that when I bought them that I was getting future hens. Here are some fairly recent pictures I took of them. If these aren't good enough to tell, please let me know and I will post some more. This is the egg we got today. Not sure who layed, it but thinking it was Ginger who is the light gold one in the background of the bottom photo. The first photo is Chubs. I am thinking she is an Amauracana Pullet? The other three are supposed to be Barred Rock, RIR and Cinnamon Queen. Hoping for all Pullets. Any thoughts? They are about 20 weeks in these photos. About 22 weeks now.








Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[joelharris]

I'm not sure about the one in the second photo but in the third I think that the Barred rock and the cinnemon queen are both pullets and the RIR I think is a cockerel however it is quite hard to tell from that angle.

 

[dadschicks]

Thanks. That is the one I was most concerned about too. I will try to get some better pictures tomorrow. The RIR is a bit nasty with me and has been pecking me lately. When would I know for sure? Do I wait for him to crow? They have all bit a bit rowdy and louder during the day than they had been. I thought it was just that they might be getting ready to lay and since I got an egg today I thought my theory was confirmed. Do you think the egg looks like what i might expect from a Cinnamon Queen? I am thinking she is the one who might have layed this egg since she was in an out of the nest today when I was cleaning the coop.

We live in the city limits and are not allowed to have a rooster. I can't imagine eating him. Is there much of a market for Roosters? Do the breeders usually buy them back?

 

[ChickenWisperer]

If they're already at 5 months it's highly unlikely that any are cockerels.

The first pic is an Easter Egger mutt - definitely NOT a purebred Ameraucana. Also most definitely a pullet.

Second pic, you've got a barred rock pullet, comet pullet, and what is most likely a RIR/production red pullet. At over 5 months I'd think you'd already hear crowing - but a better picture would help confirm/deny.

RIR are a highly, HIGHLY aggressive breed. More so with hatchery stock. If it does turn out to be a cock, you'll just have to sell it or give it away to someone looking for a roo / meal. No, breeders don't buy them back 9.9 times out of 10.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Have no fear, they are all pullets.

Easter Egger (not Ameraucana)
Red Sex Link (the one with the white in the tail)
Barred Rock
Hatchery Rhode Island Red (also called Production Red--"real" RIR look quite different)

If your RIR were male, he'd have a large green tail. This is a pullet. Also, don't let anyone tell you that any given breed of rooster is so aggressive that you have to get rid of them right away. We have had multiple hatchery RIR roosters, and none of them has been aggressive in the slightest--not to humans, hens, or even other roosters.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Just agreeing that they are all girls. Your EE girl is SOOO pretty

 

[dadschicks]

Thanks to all who have weighed in on the sex of my chicks. Looks like most of you feel they are all pullets, which would be GREAT! I really appreciate your expertise since I am totally new to raising chickens. I wish I had more room, because if I did, I would likely have a bunch more. Here are a couple new pics that I took today. Hopefully these will make it easier to determine for sure if they are all going to be hens.

First is Reggie my RIR




Next is Ginger ( I think maybe she layed the egg I got yesterday




The picture above is Chubs. I think she is the prettiest. I think some of you said she is an EE?
The last one is my Barred Rock, Mo (don't blame me for the names, my husband named them for the most part.)


Mo is the sweetest and also most curious. I have cut both her wings, but she still manages to fly the coop on occasion. She and Chubs are both the biggest of the four and the most friendly. Reggie is still a little nasty, but she seems better after I put my hand on her back and hold her to the ground thanks to some other good advice that I received from BYC.

Anything else you can tell me about these girls including whether you still think they are pullets after this second look would be appreciated.

Thanks, Debbie

 

[dadschicks]

Thanks. I think the EE (now that I know what she is) is beautiful too. Does this mean she will lay blue eggs?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Thanks. I think the EE (now that I know what she is) is beautiful too. Does this mean she will lay blue eggs?

She will most likely lay green eggs of some shade from olive to sea-foam. She has a slight chance that she'll lay blue eggs, and a very tiny chance that she'll lay brown eggs.

 

[MyPetNugget]

Mo looks like a barred rock hen (brown eggs) , Chubs appears to be a Easter Egger hen (tinted blue/green eggs) , Ginger looks like a Cinnamon Queen hen (brown eggs) , Fraggie looks like a hen, but if it is younger, I might consider it a rooster.