Oh me, oh my ... methinks I've created a co-ed henhouse.

[Don]

So back about the end of September we got our first chicks. They were (supposedly) "about" 4 weeks old at that point. There were 3 silver laced wyndottes (sp?) and 3 barred rocks. I was told they were all pullets.

So the little fuzzies quickly outgrew the A-frame that I built them and are now residing in a redesigned 8 x 10 storage shed.

This was fine and good until I noticed a couple characteristics that I didn't care for coming from a couple of the rocks ... 2 of them consistently stand toe to toe with their necks stretched out and feathers ruffled and lightly "go at" each other for short periods. They also like to chase (hassle) the wyndottes.

The kids are now going from peeping to clucking BUT I was in the garage working yesterday and heard one sounding like it was trying to crow! I went out and saw it on the top run of the outside roost gettin' all ruffled up and sounding like it had a sore throat while tryin to belt out a hefty crow. When it saw me, it just ruffled it's feathers some then jumped down.

Now I've read that the combs on the guys will be bigger and more defined than the girls, etc. However, if I have 3 guys ... how will I know what the girls should look like?

I'm gonna try to figure out how to get some pic's of em in here if I can and hopefully someone can help me decide if this hen house is co-ed or not.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Don

 

[bubbazmommy]

I would say that the barred rocks look like roos to me. I am not an expert by any means though.

 

[Mahonri]

to me the 2nd, 3rd and 4th pics look like roos.

 

[Don]

That's kinda what I was thinkin ... I wonder if I keep calling them "baby girls" will they forget that they're guys and give us eggs anyway. LOL

 

[mikarod]

Boys...and your Silver-Laced Wyandottes look like Gold-Laced Wyandottes to me...

 

[Don]

Quote:
Well it would appear that the feed store was battin' a thousand that day. OR ... they simply saw me comin'. Hehehehe

 

[seriousbill]

Yep, 3 handsome BR cockerels, and some nice-lookin' GLW pullets.

 

[RooptyDoo]

I think you have 3 BR roos.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

Due to the age... it's still hard to tell by the look... our roo has much longer "mane" of feathers and his comb & waddles are WAY bigger than on the gals--- my 22 week old gals look like your photo's...
BUT: Sparring and crowing---- usually means roo's! (Tho gals do spar for pecking order!)

 

[Buster]

If they are about 4 months old I would say that they are pullets that are getting ready to lay soon. My pullets started getting bigger combs and wattles at that age right before they started to lay. I could tell my cockerels were boys by 6 weeks old because their combs and wattles were already about that size by then. Just my opinion though. Don't cut off any heads until you start counting eggs.