She is a He and now what?

Mitchsclassproject

In the Brooder
Oct 1, 2019
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My son’s class incubated chicks this past June and we took two and were told they were hens. Well, about a month ago Scarlet started crowing and got tape feathers. We call him Red now and the hen is definitely second fiddle. She has not laid yet and is much smaller than him. I have a small hutch because I only planned on the two hens. Winter is upon us and I am not sure what to do. My birds are barred rock and I have a friend who would like to give me another hen but at this point with no eggs the two I have are just a mouth to feed and clean up after. I have spent probably $1000 on them and their run/coop/hutch and my husband thinks I’m crazy. I also live in an HOA neighborhood with large lots so they can free range when I am home but I’m thinking the complaint letter is a coming. I will attach a few pics of coop. They sleep locked in hutch at night to roost. So questions are, do I keep well enough alone? Add the other hen? Find them a home? Find rooster a home and get other hens?
 
Welcome!
Your cockerel needs to be legal where you live, or move him on elsewhere ASAP. If you can keep a rooster, and want to, and if he's polite, then try it. Or, have a nice home grown dinner, or send him to someone who will enjoy him.
Two or more pullets are better than one! No chicken should live alone, so for sure get more pullets, with or without your cockerel .
That first very very expensive egg will be wonderful!
Your coop and run need help to be safe for them, cute as it is. post with pictures and dimensions on the Coop thread for help here, before some nasty critter wipes them out. Sorry, but that's how many of us start with birds, and we learn by rebuilding after disasters. :old
Chickens are fun, and beautiful, and those eggs will be terrific when they arrive.
Mary
 
Oh the dreaded HOA! Do you know if you're allowed to have roosters? I know some localities and HOAs allow hens, but not roosters. I feel like as long as you are within your rights to have the birds, don't stress about it and enjoy! If you do decide to keep the rooster, adding a couple more hens wouldn't be a bad idea. With a single hen, she's likely to be overbred and beat up.
 
Welcome!
Your cockerel needs to be legal where you live, or move him on elsewhere ASAP. If you can keep a rooster, and want to, and if he's polite, then try it. Or, have a nice home grown dinner, or send him to someone who will enjoy him.
Two or more pullets are better than one! No chicken should live alone, so for sure get more pullets, with or without your cockerel .
That first very very expensive egg will be wonderful!
Your coop and run need help to be safe for them, cute as it is. post with pictures and dimensions on the Coop thread for help here, before some nasty critter wipes them out. Sorry, but that's how many of us start with birds, and we learn by rebuilding after disasters. :old
Chickens are fun, and beautiful, and those eggs will be terrific when they arrive.
Mary
They are legal as long as they don’t make a nuisance. I agree I need some fine tuning to the coop because I just made a few changes and didn’t finish. I do keep them locked in the hutch that has two nesting boxes and two roosts but is only 25x30 inches.
 
It's recommended as minimum spacing that each bird have four sq. ft. of floor space, and ten sq. ft. of run. It's a good guide, and minimum, especially in the coop.
Add your general location as it will be helpful for best advice, and get on your state's thread, if you are in the USA.
You can use you're existing structure, with some modifications, for your birds.
Mary
 
IF you're allowed to keep the Roo, hopefully no one complains about the crowing. Get the other hen, he'll be happy. 2x Folly's place about securing and size of your coop. Yup that first egg gets pretty pricey but it's fun.

Just remember with a Roo, your eggs should be collected every day unless you're wanting the Hen to set and raise some chicks.
 

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