New chicken momma

[Jami F]

I Just got my first 6 chicks at local farm store, 3 black and white baby bantams and 3 pullets that are ISA browns. Now, I’m in trouble, they are 8 weeks old and all of the bantams are roosters!! What do I do?? Adorable but they don’t get along real good. Advice?

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck with your flock.

 

[chub_the_chick]

Welcome to BYC!
If they don't get along well, I think the best option would be to try and rehome them.

 

[AngelaY]

Can you post pictures? They might not be roos, and just be trying to establish a pecking order. If they're all roos then it wouldn't be good to keep all of them, they would fight all of the time and your hens would loose feathers real fast...

 

[piminuse]

HI and welcome to the flock!

I think every chicken owner has to deal with unexpected boys at some point or another. While there are ways to keep roos, its sometimes easiest/fastest to rehome. Check out the rehoming page on BYC, or try your local FB poultry group or Craigslist.

And as @AngelaY suggested: post pics to make sure you don't have bossy girls! It would be a shame to accidentally rehome gals if you can work on their personalities.

Good luck!

 

[Jami F]

Thanks everyone. Here are some pics

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.

Most places don't even try to sex bantams so you can get boys as easily as girls. Your odds of getting three boys out of three chicks is 1 in 8, not all that unusual. Still not pleasant. They all look like boys to me.

What are your goals for having chickens? Why might you want a boy? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Everything else is personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preference, I have a few of those myself. But that is a choice, not a need. I typically recommend you keep as few boys as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed problems with more boys but that problems are more likely. For many people the right answer is one or none.

So, what are your options? You can continue as you are. Base your actions on what you see. Sometimes that actually works out. But I would immediately find a place I could isolate one, two, or all three on a moments notice. There is a pretty good chance you will need it.

You can get rid of one, two, or all three. Get rid of can mean sell, give away, eat, or permanently separate them from the girls.

If you decide you really want to keep some or all, build a bachelor pad. If you house them without any girls they tend to not fight that much or that viciously. They will still set up a pecking order but it is often not that much worse than an all-girl flock setting up their pecking order.

Good luck with it. It's usually not an easy decision to make.

 

[CannedMonster]

Thanks everyone. Here are some picsView attachment 2329121View attachment 2329122View attachment 2329123

Yep all 3 are boys. You’ll have to try to rehome them if you can’t have roosters.
At this age they really don’t fight, they just spar to establish pecking order.
If you can have roosters I would choose the one you (or your pullets) like best and get rid of the others.
Unfortunately most hatcheries don’t sex bantams so they’re always straight run when you purchase them and you will get cockerels. It’s unfortunate that you didn’t even get one bantam pullet.

 

[Jami F]

Thanks everyone. I have posted notes everywhere for free baby roosters but no one has called. Now they are mostly just puffing up chests. At first, it was pecking too. I’m afraid for the girls when they get “of age.”

 

[CannedMonster]

Thanks everyone. I have posted notes everywhere for free baby roosters but no one has called. Now they are mostly just puffing up chests. At first, it was pecking too. I’m afraid for the girls when they get “of age.”

3 cockerels to 3 pullets isn’t a good ratio. The only good thing is that bantam roosters are easier on the girls than the big boys.