Usually if I have a roo with the girls, he could care less who is on the other side of the fence as far as fence fighting goes. He just goes where the girls go and stands watch. Curious to see if it is different for you.
Roosters are territorial.. so the boy who challenges me knows he isn't allowed in my space and waits for me to leave to try and take over my part of the yard. But when he sees me coming he heads away. They are very keen. He stands and stares when I'm not looking and when he sees me look at him he immediately starts doing busy work!
I would disagree that cockerels get their tail feathers last. I would say most often they come in at exactly the same rate. However on occassion, I get one that has no tail growth... that's ALWAYS been a boy so far. And this most recent batch is actually 1 with a speckeled sussex boy that had the slow tail, which did NOT lie. Funny that it's the same breed. Mine came from the feed store as sexed pullets.
How old are your chicks now? In my breeders, the slow tail is a trait I cull for... although it is kind of a convenient tool! Some breeders may actually select for the slow tail.
I hope I will be able to follow your updates... haven't gotten the new format down completely yet. And flock dynamics are so fluid it's an ever learning hobby. My current flock is 60+ including all genders and ages. So far my personal hatching is not even close to 50/50 boys/girls. More like 85% boys in my Swedish Flowers!
Hope my Marans hatch out more girls than that.
Also, even if you aren't able... there is no shame in letting them feed someone else's family. I'm a 40ish year old lady and my daughter just turned 18. While we don't enjoy processing the boys, we do accept that if we are eating chicken it will be raised AND processed humanely. We knew we would have to do something if we were going to hatch unsexed chicks (never mind the mistaken genders from the feed store, which I've had at least 5). Our boys are not panicked and fearing for their lives but calm and quiet. And we are honored to know where our food came from. It is a difficult transition and we worked towards it for a long time openly discussing how it would go and our fears and such. I am a bit emotional and love animals. Didn't think I could be successful. Worried about my daughter who has always been sensitive. Surprised neither one of us had an emotional breakdown! Please don't take it as I think you should do what I do... I am just sharing.
My hubby who avidly shoots does not participate in the culling. But he was elated to smell actual chicken cooking in the house how he remembered from his childhood.. since we do heritage breed birds and not cornish cross (which is every super market bird and even a lot of the ones from the farmer's market), the difference is tremendous in flavor between a bird that grows 6 months instead of 8 weeks. Again, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable... Just maybe encourage you to "enjoy" the fruits of your labor! 
I respect the decicion of those who cannot, as well! We are all individuals.
Good luck, having more turn out to be pullets than you think! 
Roosters are territorial.. so the boy who challenges me knows he isn't allowed in my space and waits for me to leave to try and take over my part of the yard. But when he sees me coming he heads away. They are very keen. He stands and stares when I'm not looking and when he sees me look at him he immediately starts doing busy work!
I would disagree that cockerels get their tail feathers last. I would say most often they come in at exactly the same rate. However on occassion, I get one that has no tail growth... that's ALWAYS been a boy so far. And this most recent batch is actually 1 with a speckeled sussex boy that had the slow tail, which did NOT lie. Funny that it's the same breed. Mine came from the feed store as sexed pullets.
How old are your chicks now? In my breeders, the slow tail is a trait I cull for... although it is kind of a convenient tool! Some breeders may actually select for the slow tail.
I hope I will be able to follow your updates... haven't gotten the new format down completely yet. And flock dynamics are so fluid it's an ever learning hobby. My current flock is 60+ including all genders and ages. So far my personal hatching is not even close to 50/50 boys/girls. More like 85% boys in my Swedish Flowers!
Hope my Marans hatch out more girls than that.
Also, even if you aren't able... there is no shame in letting them feed someone else's family. I'm a 40ish year old lady and my daughter just turned 18. While we don't enjoy processing the boys, we do accept that if we are eating chicken it will be raised AND processed humanely. We knew we would have to do something if we were going to hatch unsexed chicks (never mind the mistaken genders from the feed store, which I've had at least 5). Our boys are not panicked and fearing for their lives but calm and quiet. And we are honored to know where our food came from. It is a difficult transition and we worked towards it for a long time openly discussing how it would go and our fears and such. I am a bit emotional and love animals. Didn't think I could be successful. Worried about my daughter who has always been sensitive. Surprised neither one of us had an emotional breakdown! Please don't take it as I think you should do what I do... I am just sharing.
My hubby who avidly shoots does not participate in the culling. But he was elated to smell actual chicken cooking in the house how he remembered from his childhood.. since we do heritage breed birds and not cornish cross (which is every super market bird and even a lot of the ones from the farmer's market), the difference is tremendous in flavor between a bird that grows 6 months instead of 8 weeks. Again, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable... Just maybe encourage you to "enjoy" the fruits of your labor! I respect the decicion of those who cannot, as well! We are all individuals.
Good luck, having more turn out to be pullets than you think!
