ROOSTERS! EVERYWHERE!

[JackieK318]

So, I wanted hens. I bought 'hens' from a lady who hatches eggs from eBay. All of the 'hens' she sold me are now roosters! I paid her double what the feed store was charging for hens since she had some breeds I really wanted. Now, every single one of the 8 chickens I bought from her are boys! She was supposed to have 3 more hens for me, but hasn't returned my emails for the last month. I haven't even told her about the "hen-posters". Do you think she knows? Am I just being paranoid thinking she did this deliberately trying to sell her 'stock' that wouldn't sell?

I have 8 roosters and 2 hens. The two hens I bought at the feed store. I am so frustrated! I have customers lining up for eggs, and I have no egg layers! Thank goodness for this nice guy, Nick, who wants to have roosters. He's coming to get a few tonight. I decided to keep two of the roosters, although I am not supposed to per hubby. However, those two that I want to keep aren't getting along (I just got the new one last night - I promised a lady I'd take him before I knew I had more than one roo, so I may just need to be patient).

Thanks for reading. I am just so sad right now I needed to vent.

 

[jkm]

don't feel too bad, I bought hens from the feed store in march and the all three turned out to be roos, my second batch, three of six,
now I have five and one is looking like a roo, and maybe one of my barred rocks too!
my friends say some years are like that, luck of the draw, its a real pain, no eggs for me until november! agghhhh.....

 

[sara]

I'm sorry, that's no fun when you are expecting hens. You could buy a couple sex-link pullets, you'll know for sure you're getting the right sex by the color. They aren't the most interesting looking chickens, but I love them.

 

[LemonBalm]

Alas... I think I will buy nothing but sex links next year.
One of my silkie 'hens' started crowing ths morning. I am too close to my neighbors for the noise. I will have to find him a new home soon.......Dang!

I hope you can import some hens!

 

[aran]

that sounds dodgy to me mate...as if that woman knew the whole time that those chicks were roos...i mean its too coincidental that they all turn out to be roos and she wont return the emails...sucks that there a are ppl around like that.

 

[devora]

So how old are they before you can tell for sure if they're roos? Mine are 13 weeks. Is that old enough?

Is it common to get roos when ya wanted hens? I just grabbed my six babies at the feed store and assumed they'd been sexed. It seems a cheat to sell me a bird I would have to dispatch (say it ain't so!).

 

[jbkinor]

Here's what happened to me - I bought 4 "pullet" chicks in mid March from a big chain type feed store. The older the chicks got the more suspicous I became. I called the feed store and they said 90% guaranteed to be hens. Well, 3 of the 4 were roos! A local feed store told me the chain stores pay less for the chicks and get straight runs so they can charge less for them while the local stores pay more for girl chicks and sell them for more.

No more buying cheap for me. I hated to get rid of the roos I raised, especially Stanley (previously Stella) who loved to sit on our laps. The roos started getting pinkish combs and wattles and long & pointy saddle feathers at about 8 to 10 weeks. The hen didn't get her comb & wattles until much later. Then the boys started trying to crow at 13 to 14 weeks. There are other ways to tell too. Mine were buff orpingtons. The one girl we had developed her wing feathers sooner than the boys and the boys were darker colored when they did get feathers.

Hope yours are hens!

 

[Whirlwind]

Sorry you got all Roo's thats a bummer. Glad you found a home for some of them. I sure hope the lady did not do this intentionally. I would keep trying to get a hold of her. Maybe she is gone on vacation. She should replace with hens. I hope you have a happy ending to this story.

I also think you should try the sex-links. I think they are great. Super friendly, calm and great layers of large brown eggs. They are my fav's.

If you go to a feed store be sure you buy sexed pullets not straigh run chicks. Even then you could get a roo but not 8 out of 8 for sure.

Another idea is to buy pullets just getting ready to lay. They cost more but you won't get any roo's. So far this is what I have done. Unless you are just set on raising them from babies.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, go for sexlinks to gaurentee girls... I bought 8 sikies once, they were supposted to be straight run... and I got one girl...

 

[devora]

Quote:
Holy Boy Chicken Batman! If that is the only way to tell then I have six roos! Nooooo! Is there any other way to sex them at 13 weeks? Oh man, I'm freakin' out here. How can I kill Zsa Zsa?

Where can I get info on sexing these guys (no, girls!)?