Not how I had imagined

[chiks_rule]

Most women dream of the day they will be married. I dreamed of the day I would finally have my hens. This week got a great deal on a small starter coop, bought all the supplies then I was on the hunt for my hens. Not an easy thing to do this time of year but I was determined. Yesterday I came across an add for hens and roosters. I went over and picked out my 3 which were supposed to all be hens. I am new and can't tell the difference except that one of them is crowing his head off this morning! I live in an equestrian subdivision and I am not supposed to have chickens at all. I thought I would be sneaky and house them in the barn and the grass lot behind the barn no problem. When ever I go in there of course there is no noise...how do I tell which one it is? They all look the similar so I am stumped, I think I am going out there and look for a spur to start...should have thought about that yesterday. Any other helpful tips on trying to figure out the culprit would help...I have to figure this out today! I need a rewind.

Thanks.

 

[joedie]

Can you post pics and we'll tell you. The roosters usually have larger combs, wattles, thick legs, hackle feathers are pointy and saddle feathers kind of drape over the back and hang down. Unless they are very young. What breed are they?

 

[sonew123]

post a photo an we can easily pick out the offender or offenders for you but if you do have a roo return it to who sold it you! At the age of crowing, its obvious to the people selling them and maybe they were hoping you wouldn't notice??

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Look at the tail feathers. If the top one tries to curl down over the rest...... it's a roo. Also look for longer saddle feathers right before the tail feathers begin.
But I agree..... post pics, & we'll tell you what gender it is.

 

[chiks_rule]

Wow....I need to go back to bed. I was bringing the 3 "hens" to a chicken farmer down the road and hit a squirrel on the way. Turns out I have 3 Cockarels. All I can do is laugh about this. I checked for the spur and none of them had them...is that normal?

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
COME ON!!! they sold you 3 roos??? thats messed up did they trade for hens??

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

They may be too young for spurs yet.

 

[SallyF]

Quote:
My roo is almost 6 months old. He's crowing and mounting the hens, but has no spurs yet.

 

[chiks_rule]

I found someone to take them. I am not going back to the people I got them from....can't be trusted. Why is this so hard? I only want 3 and can't use a hatchery because their minimum...so frustrated. Good tip on the spurs, I didn't realize they came in later.

 

[Ema]

wow, just wow...how could they sell you roos when you wanted hens, that is not right at all.

hope you can get yourself some nice hens.

Ema