We all love raising baby chicks and watching them grow their first feathers, then quickly maturing in just three short months into pretty nearly full size chickens.
But those of us raising pullets because we want egg layers, have to live with that nagging paranoia that we'll get one or two "accidental" roosters out of the batch. Today I discovered I have a second cockerel in my batch of nine chicks I raised this summer.
The first one I posted a picture of on this forum last week to see if anyone could tell me if it was a pullet or cockerel. Her name was Penny and it's now Penrod.
The second one I discovered on my own this morning as I was noticing Dagney was growing some impressive green rooster tail feathers out of her luxurious Black Cochin attire.
I took Dagney out of the pen and let her wander around with my rooster Stan. Stan all but ignored her. I discovered by accident, a week ago when another pullet had escaped the pen, that Stan has perfect knowledge of whether a chick is a pullet or cockerel. He immediately tried to mount the little escapee!
So Dagney's name is now Darrel.
Can anyone tell me, who has more than one rooster, if keeping the roosters separate from the hens will prevent violent cock fights? Penrod and Darrel roost separately from the hens and do not share the day-time pen with them. Or will this not make any difference and they'll all be beating each other up in another month or two?
But those of us raising pullets because we want egg layers, have to live with that nagging paranoia that we'll get one or two "accidental" roosters out of the batch. Today I discovered I have a second cockerel in my batch of nine chicks I raised this summer.
The first one I posted a picture of on this forum last week to see if anyone could tell me if it was a pullet or cockerel. Her name was Penny and it's now Penrod.
The second one I discovered on my own this morning as I was noticing Dagney was growing some impressive green rooster tail feathers out of her luxurious Black Cochin attire.
I took Dagney out of the pen and let her wander around with my rooster Stan. Stan all but ignored her. I discovered by accident, a week ago when another pullet had escaped the pen, that Stan has perfect knowledge of whether a chick is a pullet or cockerel. He immediately tried to mount the little escapee!
So Dagney's name is now Darrel.
Can anyone tell me, who has more than one rooster, if keeping the roosters separate from the hens will prevent violent cock fights? Penrod and Darrel roost separately from the hens and do not share the day-time pen with them. Or will this not make any difference and they'll all be beating each other up in another month or two?