pullet or cockeral? should've been able to tell by now!

[Frost Homestead]

cockerel. look at those saddle feathers!

 

[sshavney]

Well, thanks for the input. Guess he will be going up for sale.

 

[Warrprincess688]

Rooster

His feathers are starting to become iridescent and hes getting his saddle feathers. He hasn't probably crowed because hes going to be the less aggressive rooster of the two and the other will be more dominant.

 

[kjfrogster41]

Will there be a "pecking order" even when there are only 3 pullets? My RIR girls all seem to like each other. However, one of the three is much smaller (they are all the roughly the same age). She hangs back more from the other two but when roosting, all three snuggle. I never see the other two "ganging" up on her or pecking at her. Yet, she's definitely shyer. She eats with the others but is just not growing as quickly but seems just as healthy. Thanks for your collective advice. They are my first "flock."

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

The peck order thing is really odd. There are several peck orders and they overlap - there's an age order, a gender order & hens-only-know-what-else orders! That's why if you have a bunch of chickens and get rid of a few, or replace them with others, or add more, there will be some disharmony until everyone finds their place. Not to worry about the loss of roo. Your girls will form an order of their own, but as there are only 3 of them, the order will be established probably pretty easily & without much of a fuss. It sounds like 2 of your girls just have bigger personalities, while one is a little shy. That's totally normal, and as long as they don't start picking on her and bullying her, she'll probably just be content to let them be the top hens. Chickens have some natural smarts - as long as there's food, water, roosts and nest space to go 'round, they won't be upsetting the applecart. Good luck!