Pullets or Cockerels? Key for integration!

[Winchikn]

I have five, 8-week olds with momma in a run adjacent to the rest of my flock. Broody hen is DONE with the rowdy teenagers and wants back with the flock... But I fear there is only one pullet in the batch and don't want to leave that one to be integrated on it's own in a couple of weeks.

So - looking for some serious guesses as to the sex of these 8 week olds... The first two have a blue cochin papa and the second three are from my Ameraucana roo.

Raven - blue cochin x black australorp Storm - blue cochin x ?

Arrow - Ameraucana x buff orp or caramel queen Topaz - Ameraucana

Caper - Ameraucana (included for reference as 'she' started crowing a couple of weeks ago...despite promising at birth to be a hen...)

*Note that broody hen has NO time for most of the gang except Arrow and sometimes Raven. Could this be a sign they are pullets?

 

[cavemanrich]

Those look quite well developed for 8 week old chicks. I don't understand clearly your concern??? (only one pullet???)
Just integrate the complete 5 pack, and in time,,, if you need to reduce the cockerels, do so then.
The 5 will hang together in the integration process.
Do the initial meeting while free-ranging if possible. This way if there are large chickens chasing the small ones,,,,,,,,, small ones have place to escape. If all must be confined to run,,,, then provide some places small chickens can run away, and hide. DO NOT MAKE SUCH CIRCUMSTANCE, THAT CHICK GETS CORNERED, AND TRAPPED.
If chicken gets to run away out of sight,,,,, that is sufficient.

Ask anything else specific. I'm not sure what else you are not aware of.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[fleurchickens]

Cant help much with the integration but those all seem to be cockerels to me.

 

[Winchikn]

I don't think my existing rooster is going to take to the pack of little cockerels very well - so I wasn't going to bother integrating the cockerels if I could figure out who was who.

It will be darn bad luck if the whole hatch are boys, but that's what I'm fearing!

 

[cavemanrich]

Existing roosters may not start fighting baby cockerels when that young. ,, just a thought

 

[Winchikn]

Thanks, @cavemanrich. Maybe I'll still give integration a shot - but if they are all cockerels they might be content to stay in their little run until the time comes to part ways.

My flock isn't free range but has a pretty big run (our fenced orchard) - but there are a lot of corners that I'm afraid they might get trapped in.

One day at a time for now but I think I'll get my broody hen out of the little cockerel pen anyway!

 

[Jenessa_096]

Be careful, we had chicks that we integrated at the same age and our rooster did not appreciate it. The cockerels were getting very bloody, and my rooster started getting aggressive. We rehomed all those boys and are now raising a new rooster. However your rooster might not react the same way. Just a thought from me

 

[Winchikn]

Thanks for providing a space for me the 'talk' this through!

Our attempts at visits over the last couple of weeks tell me that my normally wonderful rooster is not going to be keen on the cockerels - especially given at least two of them have already been crowing for a few weeks. They hatched July 28 - growing up extra quickly for some reason...

The next few weeks will tell if we have any pullets in the bunch and if it turns out there is one (I can't give up hope yet!), I'll have to figure out how to integrate her at that time.

 

[Jenessa_096]

Hope everything goes well!

 

[Winchikn]

I always appreciate knowing the outcome of the cockerel/pullet debates in these threads, so wanted to update that @fleurchickens was quite right - our late July hatch were all cockerels, every last one.

Fate has a way of intervening and it turned out one of the chicks took sick for a couple of days, so I pulled momma hen out (much to her relief - she probably knew they were all boys for weeks!) - she settled back into the main flock okay.

The rowdy cockerels are still in their separate pen and I'm glad we never bothered to integrate them as I think it would have created more stress for the flock, who would only have to adjust again when we rehome the chicks - hopefully in the next week as there is a LOT of crowing coming from the little coop in the morning!