Roos or Hens?

[Horseagirl]

I received an couple of chicks from a student doing a science fair experiment, who told me they were hens. They are about 10-11 weeks old now and I have a sneaking suspicion that they are both roos. One is an easter-egger, who has begun doing a wimpy crow every morning, and the other is a tolbunt polish, who just kinda chatters all the time. I really love my little birds, but if they are indeed roos I am going to have to find them new homes, as our city and neighborhood doesn't allow roos at all I have attached pics of them when I first got them and now. I've never had chickens before, but I believe they are starting to develop spurs. Please help me verify their sex.

 

[corewassen87]

I agree both cockerels

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

x2 :/

 

[BantamLover21]

They both look like cockerels to me, too.

 

[teach1rusl]

Wow! That polish sure was a pretty chick! I know next to nothing about polish, so won't guess at gender, but the EE does seem to be a cockerel...as I see a dark, draping tail feather, and he seems to have three rows of "peas" on his comb. At this age the spurs wouldn't be an indicator on either one...I have two mature hens with spurs much more impressive than any on my roos (of course I don't have any LF roos).

 

[Horseagirl]

What is an LF roo?

 

[donrae]

LF means large fowl, as opposed to bantam.

I agree you have two cockerels. I'm not sure how the seller thought they were sexing birds so young.....

 

[Horseagirl]

A middle schooler was doing their science fair experiment on temperature and the sex of chickens. He determined the sex of the chicks by looking at their feathers when they were only a day or two old, I believe. Something about the feathers that come in on the wings are different between males and females... I'm not exactly sure on the methodology behind it, however, I had previously thought that sex was determined by the mother, not temperature as in reptiles.

 

[Michael OShay]

LF means large fowl, as opposed to bantam.

I agree you have two cockerels. I'm not sure how the seller thought they were sexing birds so young.....

X2 on donrae's post.

 

[Birdrain92]

A middle schooler was doing their science fair experiment on temperature and the sex of chickens. He determined the sex of the chicks by looking at their feathers when they were only a day or two old, I believe. Something about the feathers that come in on the wings are different between males and females... I'm not exactly sure on the methodology behind it, however, I had previously thought that sex was determined by the mother, not temperature as in reptiles.

With birds the female chooses the sex. There's 2 methods on sexing them based on the wing but it can work but still has its flaws just as other sexing methods. One is works for newly hatched and other one requires the wing to have feathers. The younger one looks at the primary wing feathers which I've never tried but kind of want to as an experiment. The other is based on the secondary feathers which when I test it, it works but I've heard people have flaws with it. Only 2 sexing methods are 100% or close enough no matter what the breed of chicken is. Vent sexing which is very accurate but not completely 100%. The one that is 100% is does it lay an egg or does it not if the chicken is old enough to lay.