Please confirm that I have 4 pullets and no roosters...

[EmmaRainboe]

Plymouth Rock is male. Rest are female

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can you tell me what tipped you off that this barred rock is a cockerel. I am curious how you differentiate because I couldn’t tell.

Good question. The bright red comb and wattles, plus the wattles are really large for a chick that age. Notice how his legs are thicker and heavier than the others. In your second photo notice his posture is more upright than the others. If you had a female barred rock to compare him to you'd see that he is noticeably lighter in color. That's because he has two barred genes while the girls only have one.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Nanette is a cockerel.

This is because in barred rocks, females are darker colored and males are lighter colored. (I don't really know, but I think that males get the double barring gene while females only get a single barring gene)

Also, the big, red comb is an easy way to tell.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

Okay, so now that we've established that Nanette is a Norman, what do I do now? Do I hope he remains a sweetheart and doesn't crow much or too loud? My neighbors will not like that much. Do I try to sell him or give him to a sanctuary? Will he be receptive to the new chicks we are getting in June when they integrate into the flock at 6 weeks? Will I have to have 2 flocks? Oh boy. This is a lot to think about...

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do you want to happen? What are your goals and how does a rooster fit into those goals? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs, anything else is a personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preferences, I have a few of those myself, but a personal preference is a choice, not a need.

You don't have to do any one thing. Different ones of us do different things. We all have unique set-ups and conditions, goals and desires. Some of your concerns are legitimate, many are not really but that depends a lot on how much room you have and the individual personality of your chickens, especially the cockerel and the dominant girls.

The simplest thing is to get rid of him. If that is your decision I suggest you start as soon as you can. If your decision is to keep him we need to know a lot of details to help you go about keeping him. The numbers, ages, and sex of all your chickens. The size in feet of any coops and runs, also size and location of your brooder could help. It helps to know you are in Pennsylvania and the time of the year you will be getting the new chicks. Do you free range and do you consider your run(s) predator safe? Photos showing the overall set-up outside plus inside of the coop(s) could be handy.

People keep boys all the time, usually successfully, but there can be horror stories. It sounds like you did not want a boy to start with. By far the simplest thing to do is to get rid of him and I'd do it now before you become more attached. But that has to be your decision. If you decide to keep him let us know and please provide some information so we can help with your unique circumstances.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

What do you want to happen? What are your goals and how does a rooster fit into those goals? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs, anything else is a personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preferences, I have a few of those myself, but a personal preference is a choice, not a need.

You don't have to do any one thing. Different ones of us do different things. We all have unique set-ups and conditions, goals and desires. Some of your concerns are legitimate, many are not really but that depends a lot on how much room you have and the individual personality of your chickens, especially the cockerel and the dominant girls.

The simplest thing is to get rid of him. If that is your decision I suggest you start as soon as you can. If your decision is to keep him we need to know a lot of details to help you go about keeping him. The numbers, ages, and sex of all your chickens. The size in feet of any coops and runs, also size and location of your brooder could help. It helps to know you are in Pennsylvania and the time of the year you will be getting the new chicks. Do you free range and do you consider your run(s) predator safe? Photos showing the overall set-up outside plus inside of the coop(s) could be handy.

People keep boys all the time, usually successfully, but there can be horror stories. It sounds like you did not want a boy to start with. By far the simplest thing to do is to get rid of him and I'd do it now before you become more attached. But that has to be your decision. If you decide to keep him let us know and please provide some information so we can help with your unique circumstances.

Thanks for your reply. At this point, I'm going to try to find him a home. I am not interested in fertilized eggs and I'm concerned about my neighbors' feelings towards a rooster. I currently have a 4x6 coop within a fully enclosed, predator safe run that is 10x10. I let the hens out to free-range in our 3 acres, but I haven't done much of that lately due to concerns over avian flu. There are currently 3 hens living with the rooster in that space (they are 11 weeks old) and I am getting 3 more chicks in June. I also have an additional identical coop and run that currently houses ducks. (Literally the same exact shed and the same enclosed run. I have had that one for years now and since I know it works and my birds have been happy in it, I put up another one exactly the same.) If need be, I am willing to find a new home for my ducks if I need their coop/run for the new chicks should integrating be an issue. The ducks have been fun, but with no water access near the coops/runs, I had to carry buckets of water down multiple times a day throughout the winter and it's not something I want to do long-term. My coop photos are in my profile, along with updates I added to the structures. I brood all chicks inside my house using a baby exercise pen that I can reconfigure as the chicks grow older. I think my biggest concern with the rooster is that he is sweet now, but will he always be that way? I have 3 children who frequently visit all of our farm animals and I wouldn't want him to scare them. Additionally, I don't know how nice he will be when it comes time to add to the flock. I just don't see the risk/reward being beneficial for me at this time.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Afraid that your Rock is a cock....

x2. Even the behavior is telling. alert, upright, watching every second in every pic, just like a good lil boy should.