rooster or hen?

[Bobby Lou]

Hi There,

Our local elementary school hatched eggs last spring as part of a curriculum project and we took three of the chicks. We were told they were all hens. They were born June 4, 2013. One has recently started to crow when she wants something-- ready for breakfast or wants to free range. Could she be a hen acting like a rooster? How do I tell? Here is a link to a video I took of her this morning:
She's the orangey-red one. Also, any help with identifying our breeds would be great! Thanks so much. We are newbies to raising chickens!

Stay to end of video to hear her/him crow. Video is just over one minute.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Hi and welcome Bobby,

Some photo's would help be certain, showing a clear shot side on the the one that just crowed and the white one.

Can be pretty certain the star of that video was a cockerel, but I also think the whiteish one may be too, but it was a bit hard to see in the video.

One good clear side shot of each and the experts on here can have it nailed for sure.

My guess for what I could see though, at least two cockerels.

 

[Bobby Lou]

Here are some additional pictures. The bottom two photos are of the same chicken:

 

[Bens-Hens]

The white one is certainly a roo, the one crowing in the video is certainly a roo.

I can't make out teh last birds details, but here is what I go off.

Males have features they mark them as male. Saddle feather, hackle feathers and sickle feathers are key indicators. Females either don't grow them or grow them in a different shape. see below.

Male. Female.


Now in your first picture, you can clearly see the long droopy feathers over his lower back, kind of like a 'saddle' females don't have those. The curved tail, and the long pointy hackle (neck) feathers also also dead giveaways.

Sorry buddy, but I can see at least two males and can't get a good enough look at the last one to be certain.

Looks like you have made a real nice home for them.

 

[Bobby Lou]

Here are better pictures of the third chicken. What do I do with roosters? Will they fight? If one is a hen, does that mean I'll get no cooking eggs? This one behaves differently-- she likes to nest more than the other two who prefer to perch from high places.

 

[PioneerPrincess]

Judging from the video and the photos, yup, you've got all roos.

 

[PioneerPrincess]

Here are better pictures of the third chicken. What do I do with roosters? Will they fight? If one is a hen, does that mean I'll get no cooking eggs? This one behaves differently-- she likes to nest more than the other two who prefer to perch from high places.

Whoops, forgot to answer your questions. : )

You can keep them if you want them as pets, sell/ rehome them, get hens for them, or make supper out of them. Since there aren't hens to fight for, I'd imagine you won't have too much fighting going on. You don't need a rooster to get eggs from a hen. Now if you want fertile eggs, then, yes, you'll need a roo. Is your roo in the nest box clucking and scratching around in it acting somewhat like he's going to lay? If so, that's natural; he's just showing his imaginary hens that it's a good place to lay. : )

 

[Tricoglossus]

You might want to keep one of them and get some hens for him. There is no problem with eating fertilised eggs if that is a concern - no chicks will develop if you collect the eggs each day (before the hen can start to incubate them). I agree that you have a lovely set up, now you just need some hens for it!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!