Rooster Right?

[3dognite]

Hi. I was hoping someone could help me out with a couple of my chickens. Is there any chance this one is a hen? You can kind of see it's twin in the background who has been noisily cockadoodle dooing away for the last 3 weeks but this guy hasn't made a peep. They are 15 week old Marans mix, olive eggers. I'm not really sure what they are mixed with...





Any hens in these photos?
Thank you!

 

[Alexandra33]

Yep, he's also a cockerel, and absolutely stunning!

~Alex

 

[drumstick diva]

gorgeous cockerel

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Cockerel. In the back of the second photo, above the front cockerel's comb is a pullet. And there might be a pullet right under him (black), but I'd need a picture of her to confirm. Other than that I see five cockerels. Maybe six, but I'm not sure if I counted one twice.

 

[rebrascora]

Individual photos of each bird you have will help us determine how many cockerels you actually have but I can certainly see 4 or possibly 5 in the first photo including the one centre stage.
If you do have any hens you need to identify them and pen them separately soon because otherwise they will be mated to death by these guys and the cockerels will start to fight over them.
I think the tail in the bottom left hand corner of the first photo belongs to a pullet and you can see the head and shoulders of a pullet in the top left hand corner of the second photo but it may be the same one.

I hope you like chicken soup!

 

[3dognite]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I really appreciate your help. You guys are really good at this! I think I already knew the answer but just needed confirmation.
Now how do I go about choosing which ones to keep? I'm not planning on showing them, we just want them for eggs and pets.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

How many hens do you have?

 

[rebrascora]

I think you will find that the cockerels will not lay eggs

so that leaves you with the pet option. Choosing a cockerel as a pet is difficult because it is a bit of a lottery and looking at them, they are on the point of suffering from raging hormones which will drastically affect their temperament and behaviour..... I hate adolescent roosters!

Keeping them through that phase is usually harassing for you and the hens, unless you isolate them into a bachelor pad, particularly if your hens are also juvenile and few in number, as it appears. I would recommend that you don't keep more than one unless you have lots of hens and free range. After that it is going to come down to which one you like the best but base it on personality/temperament more than looks.

Good luck!

 

[Gray Farms]

If you don't plan to breed and set/hatch eggs. I wouldn't keep a rooster.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Roosters are good for protecting the other chickens though.