Sexing Jersey Giant Chicks

[pip31453]

This is a little off subject, but I need advice. I have a flock of 10 hens and one rooster. Recently, we purchased 3 chicks--2 white Jersey giants and a buff orpington. The feed store said they were females. Just last week a friend of mine moved to town and asked me to take her 4 chicks. 3 of hers look to be Golden Comets and the 4th one is black with orange hackles. They, as well as mine, are around 9 weeks old now. I put their outdoor pens next to one another. The last couple of days I've let them all out to free range around their pens. I kept an eye on them. There was a little pecking on the heads, but that's normal. Pecking order starts young. But immediately after the pecking, the black chicken began to get her (his?) hackles up and challenge one of my white Jersey Giants. Another of the Comets did the same to the white chick. Today, one of the comets and my white got into it like a pair of roosters squaring off. They were pulling each other's feathers out. My question--since I've never seen the hens do this to each other, is it safe to say I may have roosters in these 2 batches of chicks? It sure looked like a cock fight.

 

[aart]

Hens will raise their hackles when fighting too.

This is a little off subject, but I need advice. I have a flock of 10 hens and one rooster. Recently, we purchased 3 chicks--2 white Jersey giants and a buff orpington. The feed store said they were females. Just last week a friend of mine moved to town and asked me to take her 4 chicks. 3 of hers look to be Golden Comets and the 4th one is black with orange hackles. They, as well as mine, are around 9 weeks old now. I put their outdoor pens next to one another. The last couple of days I've let them all out to free range around their pens. I kept an eye on them. There was a little pecking on the heads, but that's normal. Pecking order starts young. But immediately after the pecking, the black chicken began to get her (his?) hackles up and challenge one of my white Jersey Giants. Another of the Comets did the same to the white chick. Today, one of the comets and my white got into it like a pair of roosters squaring off. They were pulling each other's feathers out. My question--since I've never seen the hens do this to each other, is it safe to say I may have roosters in these 2 batches of chicks? It sure looked like a cock fight.

 

[pip31453]

Thanks. None of my other chicks or hens ever did what this group is doing, so I was buffaloed.

 

[11squawkers]

Every once in a while my two 11 week old black jersey pullets still go at each other, usually right after I let the flock out to free range. It's really funny to watch, they don't hurt each other too bad but they stand as tall as they can with feathers ruffled and square off. Only lasts like 10 seconds but quite entertaining. But then they spend the rest of the day hanging out together, silly chickens!

 

[pip31453]

I appreciate the post, 11Squawkers! I guess I'll just let them 'duke it out'. It is funny to see their heads bob up and down.

 

[11squawkers]

You bet! You know it really freaked me out at first too, especially since the first time when I had to clean their wounds! But, luckily they haven't made each other bleed since that first time, even though they still occasionally spar. Best of luck

 

[moco27]

at about 3 weeks it's easy to tell. the bottom bird is a Rooster and the top bird is a hen. Notice the bald streak on the back. Also at 3 weeks they have spur buds on the roos.

 

[Danster1001]

This is Flash & Arrow they are 1 week old Flash is far bigger with big legs already I was thinking he was a Roo

 

[Saris]

Ignore this

 

[Trevorusn]

I am curious on this, as one of my local TSCs has a bunch of pullet JGs and all have black beaks. Mine came from a mixed run of JG chicks at another local TSC, and one of my chicks has a gold/yellow beak with a bit more angular shape to the head (at least it appears so, maybe due to not being a black beak?) as well as more developed tail fluffies. That one also seems slightly bigger. Seems to young to be sprouting any spur buds yet, but could beak color/head shape be any indicator?? Or is it of no relevance?