NY chicken lover!!!!

[boskelli1571]

Purple Iris - I never used to care for roos' either, however, a good roo is a great addition to a flock for protection etc.
So - going down your list:
1,2 &3. would you trust your seller to give you a pullet - would she know? If she truly believed it was a roo, she could be mistaken again.
4. I would integrate both now . It's better to integrate two rather than one bird. If the roo has to go, she will stand a better chance of not being picked on.
5. If you decide on a companion, make it two - just in case.
6. Your roo is very handsome, if you decide to sell him I think you will have some interest, but please consider keeping him...

 

[cow whisperer]

Tell that to the RIR rooster, Mr. Rooster seeing how every time the flying predator comes around he is the first to run and hide leaving his females to fend for themselves but Roo (My BO rooster) who so far has proven he doesn't scare easily- won't move away from the push lawnmower even when it's running. He's only around 4 months old so I don't know what kind of fight he would have with the flying predator.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hmmm, now I'm in a whole other quandary... we only have room in our small coop for 5 adult chickens, and don't want a rooster, needed younger pullets as existing chickens are aged 3.5yrs and 2.5yrs, egg production is slowing.

My plan was to keep these 2 housed separately for another month so they can eat the grower food, and get a bit bigger, then merge with our 3 adult chickens. Yet again, need advice from more experienced folks out there....

1 - seller / buyer etiquette - do I go back to the local young lady who sold me the chick assuring me multiple times it was a pullet at 8 weeks of age, I believe her actual words were 'no way its a male, you'd certainly be able to see that by now' and ask for a replacement?
2 - Would it be acceptable to expect her to take the young rooster back, or as he's been off her farm for over a month, quarantine etc would be too complicated?
3 - maybe I just don't want to contact her or trust her again, she only charged $3 per chick, and I gave her $5 for each as she'd been so helpful emailing me photos, being flexible about when we could meet..........

4- We would be OK with just 4 chickens, whatever the solution for the rooster, would the Sexlink be OK living alone until full intro time? Or as she's already 12 weeks, could I introduce her sooner, if I can work out a way to prevent her eating the layer pellets? I'm assuming as the rooster wont be staying, separating them sooner rather than later is best?
5 - If it would be better for her to have a companion, do I try to get another chick the same age, or given her nature so far has been very calm and gentle, would younger be OK?
6 - May be looking for a home for a very handsome Easter Egger roo chick! Who, of course I'm already attached to, if anyone in this group would be interested.

Sorry, this is long, but I'm frustrated, and sad - I thought I'd done my research, looking up photos of the various shapes of feathers, but knowing I'd only had minimal experience selecting chicks, explained multiple times I was only looking for pullets, exactly because I dreaded getting into this situation, now I'm 2 months in to this flock expansion plan, which, when you only have 3 chickens, who are really pets, and think you have finally found the ideal 2 to provide 'eye candy' and different color eggs, having to rethink everything feels a bit like a punch in the gut!

Thoughts? Advice appreciated..... @myfivegirls, are you getting caught up with chick orders, maybe I could go back to one of my initial ideas (pm on 5/7/17 when you replied, probably nothing available until Aug) and add Catskill Homesteader to our flock after all!

1. contact the seller and let her know you have a rooster. See how she reacts. If not amiable to taking him back, have nothing to do with her and warn others. I would be glad to take him back IF I had offer a guarantee they were all females.
2. What she does with him is up to her.
3. She should let you decide on a replacement or a refund. Your choice.
4. I put ALL birds in the coop on Dumor 20% chick grower, til the new girls start to lay. Then switch to layer pellets.
5. Give them plenty of room, so they can steer clear of each other if they choose.
6. Keeping a rooster can be nice, but you have to make a decision that is best for you. Finding a home may be hard. If you decide to part with him take him back to the seller. That would be easiest.

Finally for those who only want half a dozen hens, it may be best to purchase them from a hatchery, pay more for POL (point of lay) hens or purchase from a feed store that will guarantee females.

My experience show not all breeds get along with other breeds.

I wish you well.

 

[LavvyTaffy]

Good Morning ALL! I am from WNY, about an hour south of Buffalo.
I have 7 Rhode Island Red Hens, 1 Astralorp Hen, and a Leghorn Rooster. All about 8 months old. (I think) Got them from a friend. I would be interested in buying more.

Hi all from barker NY, about 45 min north/east of buffalo, nice to see others from WNY on here. I got silikies, and just got 2 rir and 2 golden lace chicks to go with the 10 silikie chicks my mommies just hatched lol

More WNY peeps!!! I'm from Batavia

 

[cow whisperer]

That part of NYS has some really good looking countryside landscapes but this part of NYS has excellent looking country landscapes.

 

[Purple Iris]

1. contact the seller and let her know you have a rooster. See how she reacts. If not amiable to taking him back, have nothing to do with her and warn others. I would be glad to take him back IF I had offer a guarantee they were all females.
2. What she does with him is up to her.
3. She should let you decide on a replacement or a refund. Your choice.
4. I put ALL birds in the coop on Dumor 20% chick grower, til the new girls start to lay. Then switch to layer pellets.
5. Give them plenty of room, so they can steer clear of each other if they choose.
6. Keeping a rooster can be nice, but you have to make a decision that is best for you. Finding a home may be hard. If you decide to part with him take him back to the seller. That would be easiest.

Finally for those who only want half a dozen hens, it may be best to purchase them from a hatchery, pay more for POL (point of lay) hens or purchase from a feed store that will guarantee females.

My experience show not all breeds get along with other breeds.

I wish you well.

Rancher, Boskelli & Gramma thanks so much for your input, I really appreciate all the suggestions. I had never even realized I could switch the adult birds to grower food for a short time, if this was my only delay in merging them - but thats great news as I could only find it in a 50# bag anyway! I'm not sure what we are going to do, but I don't think we will be keeping the rooster, will start with contacting the seller, and see what happens.

 

[Purple Iris]

Sorry to be taking over the thread at the moment, but I appreciate input from those who care to comment. I just have a little update, I contacted the seller and she has been very nice, genuinely believed it was a pullet when I bought them 5 weeks ago. She was quick to offer an exchange and would be happy to have the roo chick back to use for breeding next year.

The only thing she has available of a similar age are blue aracaunas, or some assorted 6 week old chicks. I'm leaning towards the aracauna, as that's a breed that was on my original possibility list, its just a few weeks younger than the sexlink we already have, and so they'd be about the same size, whereas the 6 weeks old would still be a lot smaller when I complete another quarantine time, and eventually mix them with the main flock.

She sent me this pic - obviously I'm wary now - anything saying rooster to any of you on these 'blue' birds which I'd be choosing from?

She sent me this pic of the other option of 'lavender' chicks, but I'm not 100% sure what breed they are

If anyone has comments on which may be most suitable to add to the mix, please let me know, thanks

 

[cow whisperer]

Seeing how I'm brand new at chickens I'm going to take a wild guess at the first pic just by looking at the feathers they look to have rounded saddle feathers so I think they are pullets but no matter what I think they are very pretty.

 

[Pyxis]

Sorry to be taking over the thread at the moment, but I appreciate input from those who care to comment. I just have a little update, I contacted the seller and she has been very nice, genuinely believed it was a pullet when I bought them 5 weeks ago. She was quick to offer an exchange and would be happy to have the roo chick back to use for breeding next year.

The only thing she has available of a similar age are blue aracaunas, or some assorted 6 week old chicks. I'm leaning towards the aracauna, as that's a breed that was on my original possibility list, its just a few weeks younger than the sexlink we already have, and so they'd be about the same size, whereas the 6 weeks old would still be a lot smaller when I complete another quarantine time, and eventually mix them with the main flock.

She sent me this pic - obviously I'm wary now - anything saying rooster to any of you on these 'blue' birds which I'd be choosing from?

View attachment 1054747

She sent me this pic of the other option of 'lavender' chicks, but I'm not 100% sure what breed they are
View attachment 1054751

If anyone has comments on which may be most suitable to add to the mix, please let me know, thanks

Well, the top ones aren't araucanas, if that makes a difference to you. Araucanas are tufted and rumpless, and those birds are neither. They may be ameraucanas, but to me it's not a good sign that the breeder doesn't even know what they have. Still, if you're just looking for a pullet to lay blue eggs, they'll probably do that for you.

It's still a bit early to make a for sure judgement gender wise on them because you said they're even younger than the ones you have now, which are only 12 weeks if I remember correctly. Cockerel traits like hackle and saddle feathers might not start coming in until three or four months old.

If you want to pick one of these out, go with the the one that has the smallest, thinnest, least developed comb with only one row of 'peas', and has thin legs. That would be your best shot. Honestly the comb on the bird on the bottom of the pile, under the buff, is saying cockerel to me. It's pretty wide and red for a bird less than 12 weeks old. So be cautious if you do decide to take one. EEs and Ameraucanas are hard to sex until they're older.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Well, the top ones aren't araucanas, if that makes a difference to you. Araucanas are tufted and rumpless, and those birds are neither. They may be ameraucanas, Or EE Easter Eggers ?
If you want to pick one of these out, go with the the one that has the smallest, thinnest, least developed comb with only one row of 'peas', and has thin legs.
The coloring on the top right Blues looks pulletish ..left one looks rooish ..but check out their legs ..