Hi all. This is my first time having chickens and while I didn't intend on having any roosters, I figured if I had one it would be okay..
Well, I'm pretty sure I wound up with 4 (out of 12 total!)
Here are some photos:
This one I'm pretty sure is a rooster--he crows and tends to be the leader of the flock. He's always the one breaking up any fights, and he puts himself between the flock and whatever has them flustered (usually me.) He is an olive egger, but I'm not sure exactly what breed.
Next is an easter egger. I think she's a hen, I've never heard her crow, and she seems to mix with the rest of the ladies. I also don't see any saddle feathers.
Next is another easter egger--We thought it was going to be a hen based off of light color as a chick, but as they started growing, I always felt like he was a rooster. I have never heard him crow, but he is about 2 weeks younger than the rest of the flock. He's also off on his own far more than any of the other birds, and has been that way since they were chicks.
I can't tell if those are saddle feathers or not.
And here are the two polish that I know are roosters.
They both crow and are absolute terrorists--ever since they were chicks they'd always sprint around causing problems. One of them will mount the ladies right in front of me--until the olive egger roo comes over and breaks them up.
Since I'm here--I think 4 roosters (assuming my sexing is correct) is too many for a flock of 12 total--and the two polish have both pecked the back of eachothers heads nearly clean--they're totally bald on the back of their heads. Nobody else has any feather damage.
I'm assuming I should probably just get rid of those two--would the other two be fine with 8-10 hens? I don't think I could cull them myself, so I'll probably try to give them away for free.
Thanks!!
Well, I'm pretty sure I wound up with 4 (out of 12 total!)
Here are some photos:
This one I'm pretty sure is a rooster--he crows and tends to be the leader of the flock. He's always the one breaking up any fights, and he puts himself between the flock and whatever has them flustered (usually me.) He is an olive egger, but I'm not sure exactly what breed.
Next is an easter egger. I think she's a hen, I've never heard her crow, and she seems to mix with the rest of the ladies. I also don't see any saddle feathers.
Next is another easter egger--We thought it was going to be a hen based off of light color as a chick, but as they started growing, I always felt like he was a rooster. I have never heard him crow, but he is about 2 weeks younger than the rest of the flock. He's also off on his own far more than any of the other birds, and has been that way since they were chicks.
I can't tell if those are saddle feathers or not.
And here are the two polish that I know are roosters.
They both crow and are absolute terrorists--ever since they were chicks they'd always sprint around causing problems. One of them will mount the ladies right in front of me--until the olive egger roo comes over and breaks them up.
Since I'm here--I think 4 roosters (assuming my sexing is correct) is too many for a flock of 12 total--and the two polish have both pecked the back of eachothers heads nearly clean--they're totally bald on the back of their heads. Nobody else has any feather damage.
I'm assuming I should probably just get rid of those two--would the other two be fine with 8-10 hens? I don't think I could cull them myself, so I'll probably try to give them away for free.
Thanks!!
