Newbie help!

[dcberger]

Hello... I am brand new to chickens, I have 4 birds, nine weeks old (Rhode Island Red, Easter Egger, California Leghorn and Silver Laced Wyandotte) and I am really enjoying this new hobby! Your website has been helpful to me in reading many topics, but now it is time for me to ask for help! This morning I heard a very sick sounding crow, 3 times, then all was quiet. This did not sound at all like an adult rooster, and I have heard that dominant females might have a weak or gargly sounding crow, so I am panicking on whether I have a dominant female (PLEASE let this be the case) or if I have a rooster among my girls (PLEASE don't let this be the case). None of them appear to have a large tail, or spurs (yet, but then i am not sure at what age they would get those). The silver laced wyandotte does have a comb, but I have read, and also seen, that some breeeds have larger combs than others, so it is somewhat hard for me to tell. My neighbors would not appreciate a rooster waking them each AM, and our town ordinance does not allow roosters. I am attaching photos. Thanks in advance!

 

[Cowgirl71]

This is the best chicken site on the web!

If your Wyandotte is only 9 weeks old then I say he's 100% rooster, with that big ol' comb. Sorry.

Easter Eggers can be sexed by color. Your Easter Egger is looking like a rooster too. See the red coming in on the shoulders?

But the Rhode Island Red and California White are both 100% girls. They'll be awesome layers for you!

 

[dcberger]

Oh we will be sick if that is the case! I took a couple of better photos of the EE and Wyandotte, the last ones were unclear through that fence

And as far as the large comb on the Wyandotte, don't certain breeds have larger combs than others anyway?

 

[buckabucka]

I am no expert, but I would guess that the EE is a pullet. I thought as long as the reddish color was throughout the body, that this color could still occur on a female. It looks like the red color is on the tail and the wings, at least.

I don't have a silver-laced Wyandotte, but that definitely looks like a rooster. Those pointy feathers coming out of the saddle, the longer tail, the pointy hackles. Sorry to say. I have been equally disappointed, watching my hatch of olive-eggers slowly turn into 7 roosters (out of 9).

The rooster will taste delicious later.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Yes, some breeds tend to have bigger combs than others. But at 9 weeks old a pullet should have a small flesh-colored comb. Here's a pic of a 9 week old Golden Laced Wyandotte pullet: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=9+we...111&tbnw=84&start=6&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:6 If a bird's comb turns big and red when they're under 3 months old then that most always means rooster. Your bird's comb is really big and really red, and coupled with the crowing you heard... I have no doubt he's a rooster.


Seeing that new pic makes me think that the EE just might be a hen since the colors seem to be more blended, rather than blotchy. If you post some more pics in another month we can tell you for sure.

 

[dcberger]

In another month we may have gotten rid of him already. Our small town does not allow roosters, plus I would die if the neighbors started complaining! This just makes me sick, I have no idea where to find a good home (where he is loved, warm and not eaten) for a bird that is already just like a pet. This particular bird (Pepper) is the friendliest and most inquisitive one out of all of them. If his crowing sounds rather lame and sick now, how long would it take for a rooster to have a regular full blown crow? And she/he has always been a little larger than the other birds.... maybe there is a chance he is a week or 2 older than the rest? I know, I am grasping at straws here.

 

[patman75]

The Wyandotte is your roo. young rooster crows are funny sounding as they start to crow.

EE leaning towards pullet but could be a roo, EE are hard to tell.

The other two are pullets.

 

[dcberger]

If in fact everyone is right, and the Wyandotte is a rooster, where does one go about finding a good home for a rooster? I live in Michigan (Flint area). I am clueless on where to even start, outside of going door to door at nearby farms.

 

[Cowgirl71]

For the SLW you can try Craigslist, a flyer at the local feed store, and word of mouth if you know of anyone else with chickens.

Sorry about him being your favorite.

I've noticed myself that the roosters tend to be more docile than the hens when they're young. So hard not to get attached, especially when you're only raising a few at a time!

But on a good note, after seeing that 2nd pic of your EE I'm leaning toward hen. Should be able to tell for sure in another month.

If she is a hen that could be rather neat when they all start laying... The brown eggs will belong to the RIR, white eggs to the CW, and the blue/green eggs to the EE!

 

[FeistyChikin]

Yes, the SLW is for sure your culprit. My SLW is 4 months old and her comb is still light pink and about that same size. I ended up with some roosters too. Always ends up that way even when you buy pullets.