Roosters?

[MegaChickens]

We started off with eight female chicks from Agway in July. Now they are getting ready to lay and im not entirely sure that they are all females. We have one blue orpington, rhode island red, and speckled sussex that we think are males. The RIR and SS have stubs where spurs may be coming in and they both have really large combs. The BO has a large comb but its feathers are all short and rounded like the hen's. The BO also crows in the morning but I was told dominant hens will also do the same. The three of them all have long drooping tail feathers... i dont know what to think. Anything else I can check for to distinguish that they are either males or females?


Pictures have been posted a few posts down, posts #5-8 I think.

 

[donnavee]

If you post pictures I'm sure some folks on here can help you with sexing them. I have had 2 "hens" that turned out to be Roos and the BYCers confirmed my fears correctly.

 

[donrae]

Post pics here, but any bird crowing at this age is a male. Yes, hens can crow, but it's an older, dominant hen that does that, not a young pullet getting ready to lay. Those drooping tail feathers also sound quite male. Spur buds are iffy, some roos don't get them until a year or so, some hens get impressive spurs.

Try to get a profile shot of each bird, or as clear a group shot as you can and post it. We'll help you sort them out

 

[Mac14]

Post pics here, but any bird crowing at this age is a male. Yes, hens can crow, but it's an older, dominant hen that does that, not a young pullet getting ready to lay. Those drooping tail feathers also sound quite male. Spur buds are iffy, some roos don't get them until a year or so, some hens get impressive spurs.

Try to get a profile shot of each bird, or as clear a group shot as you can and post it. We'll help you sort them out

Exactly! We thought our Ancona hen was a slow developing rooster and BYC helped us figure it out.

 

[MegaChickens]

 

[MegaChickens]

 

[MegaChickens]

 

[MegaChickens]

 

[Fowl97]

I think last two pics are roos imo

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Yes, all 3 you suspect are cockerels. Hackle and saddle feathers are the long slender pointy ones cockerels will have. Your Orp will look similar to my Splash Orp, you can see pics of him on my profile.