Please tell me these are hens!

[Wise Woman]

A sweet person I know hatched a dozen chicks out for me. They were hatched the day before Father's Day and I drove a 4 hour round trip to pick them up. They were doing great. Then tragedy struck for the first time in our 10 years of raising chickens. My neighbor left and didn't realize his gate wasn't latched tight. When I came in the house about 4 pm on Sunday, the 10th to get a shower, she broke into my shed and killed 8 of the 12 chicks. I didn't hear the ruckus as I was in the shower. When I came out and saw the carnage, a foot here, a wing there, a dead body on the step and several in her yard, I was heart broken. She is a lab and has been acting more and more aggressive they past few months and no one knows why. She used to be such a sweet heart but lately has taken to attacking my dogs and other people's children. She tried to go after my husband when he went over to retrieve the bodies. My neighbor is mortified and keeps apologizing and trying to make it right. Four of the chicks escaped and hid under a vintage stove I have in the shed next to the brooder. They were scared out of there wits and it has taken about a week for them to calm down and return to normal. I had 4 BCMs, 6 white or blue EEers, one buff EEer and 1 blue Marans. The blue Marans escaped, as did one of the BCMs, the buff EEer and one of the white EEers.

So I was pretty sure that of the 3 dead Marans, 2 were roosters and one was a hen. I think the two Marans left are hens. The EEers, I have no clue on. I am telling myself she killed the roosters so I don't feel so bad. Here is a picture of the 4 survivors. They are now 4 1/2 weeks old. Any guesses as to their gender? The two dead BCMs had combs twice the size of the two remaining ones and that was a week and a half ago. Any guesses on the EEers would be most helpful. I am not naming anyone until I am sure they are hens and are staying. Thanks.

After finding out that the two blue Marans hens I bought back in May are really EEer roosters, then the massacre of July 10th, I don't think I can take any more bad chicken news.

 

[sunnysongbird]

I'm sorry to hear what happened

Hmm it's kind of hard to tell right now as they look very young and your best bet is to wait until they start crowing/laying. Best of luck though! Very sweet chickens

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Looks like hens to me... but the ee could still be a roo maybe. Post pics in 2 more weeks to be sure. Sorry you lost the 8. Dogs and chickens just don't mix.

 

[Wise Woman]

No they don't and we never, ever had this problem before. She never even looks twice at the big girls in the pen. I don't even know how she knew the chicks were in my shed. I also have a grow out pen right next to my shed with 7 3 month olds in there and she never bothers them either. She has always come and gone between our two yards as my daughter dog sits her all the time. She is like an extended family member, so I am not sure how this happened. Like I said, her owner feels just awful. Even his mother came by to apologize as she felt horrible as well. I had shown her the chicks when they were a few days old and she was smitten. I do hope the "survivors" are hens. If they are all roosters, that would sure be adding insult to injury.

 

[Kitty Cat]

It looks like everyone is a hen but sometimes it can be hard to tell, they surprise you sometimes.

 

[Wise Woman]

Thanks everyone. Two of the BCMs that got killed had combs twice this size at just 3 weeks and 3 had these itty bitty combs, so I was pretty sure I had two roos and 3 hens. I think the dog killed two roos and 1 hen. But I can never tell on EEers. I do hope these are hens as they are the only EEers that made it out alive. They were all so pretty, it is so sad. I will just wait and see. Eventually they will either crow or lay an egg.

 

[catsew]

WAIT A MINUTE!!!! Did this just happen? Are these the chicks you posted pics of yesterday when you found the marans weren't marans after all?

 

[Duramaxgirl]

On a side note suggest to your neighbor to watch a few episodes of the Dog whisperer. My sister raises, trains and shows golden retirevers and she recomends this tv show for problem owners... uh I mean dogs. Also I don't have tv but I rent tv shows I like at the library. It might help with the recent behavior from this dog. Just an idea!

 

[Minniechickmama]

They all are feathering like pullets, so you could luck out with that.

 

[nurseamc]

Don't trust the feathering alone...I have a pretty EE "hen" that started crowing 2 weeks before the hackles came in. We thought it was a hen due to the fact that it was afraid of everything, but he's just a timid roo.