Newbie question ...Do I have a rooster, or too soon to tell?

[Mayapples]

Hi there,

We just started with our first chickens!! We have four easter egger chicks that are (according to the farmer we got them from) about four and a half weeks old right now. We got them about a week and a half ago. One of them, who we are calling Big Red, was already a lot bigger than the others, and might be a little older. Red is growing pretty fast, getting a fairly big comb already, a pretty big puff of tail feathers, and is pushing the other kids around a lot. Red also seems to have a very long neck. From the first day we had them, Red has given us the most direct eye contact. The others just run around and peep and mind their own business. Do you think Red is a rooster, or just a pushy older/dominant hen? What should we do?

The bowl in the picture is one of two feeding areas they have. The other is a silo type. This bowl was just filled twenty minutes ago, and Red pretty much dominates the bowl until it's gone. There's less drama about the silo feeder.

 

[Charleymitchell]

I think thats a roo.. The black one looks rooish too! I could tell my roos from hens by week 3-4. Good luck! Cute chicks btw!

 

[WinklerFarms]

I'm with Charlie. Looks like you got 2 roos. Let us know if we are right.

 

[Mayapples]

Thanks you guys .. although now I'm concerned I'll have to exchange most of my chicks! here's a picture of the other three.

 

[SmallFarmChick]

I see 3 potential roos.

 

[highpointfarm]

looks like the orange one is defintley a roo, and the black one might be as well.. UNLESS the orange one is a RIR couldnt really tell, if so, Sometimes RIR hens get very large combs very quickly, I know some of mine did, but they are definitley hens lol

 

[Panth]

Not sure on the Roo/Hen ratio, however, I don't believe any of those are Easter Eggers. The large gold one looks like a buff orpington, the black one looks like an Australorp, and I'm not sure about the silvery one but he is very very pretty. The white one is the only one that could possibly be an Easter Egger, it does appear to have a peacomb and muffs.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

I agree that only the white one looks like it could be an EE. The other three look like cockerels to me but I'm holding a reservation on the black one maybe being a pullet. The black and white one and the buff one...I'm almost certain are cockerels.

 

[Mayapples]

Thanks for your input, everybody ... I hope it's not as bad as you all fear though, because we're not allowed to have roosters here The man we got them from said he would exchange them if we got roosters, so we're okay either way. I wanna keep them all though! they're so cute.