Should I keep him?

[unbaked pegga]

I have purchased 4 chicks the end of April and surprisingly I received 5.and I was under the impression they were all hens but now I am beginning to see bumps on the legs of one of them. I am sure the spurs are going to be coming in. None of the others have this.The other chicks I have are 2 Orpington‘s, 1 marans and one Wyandotte and I know that Orpington are prone to be broody. If I have a rooster they will nest constantly probably won’t they? I just don’t want a rooster pulling the feathers off of their back and harassing them but I’ve gotten kind of attached to him but I don’t know if I should keep him. I’ve never had a rooster before

 

[igorsMistress]

Those bumps can show up on girls and aren't an indicator for being a roo. If you post a side and front pic of the face with comb and wattles we might be able to take a guess at gender.

A rooster has no bearing on whether a hen goes broody or not, that's driven by hormones. If you don't want to see messy feathers and would object to a rooster controlling the flock you shouldn't keep one. If you have a rooster then the hens are his not yours. Good luck

 

[Folly's place]

Post pictures! Nubs on legs are not relevant, but comb and wattle size and color, and leg thickness, are. What breeds do you have? Which hatchery? If you are new to chicken keeping, maybe it would be best to rehome any cockerels in your group. On the other hand, a nice rooster can be an asset in the flock, if he's nice, and legal where you live.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are your goals with chickens? Why do you have them? How does having a rooster match your goals? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is just personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preference, I do a lot of things the way I do because of personal preference. But that is a choice, not a need.

I suggest you keep as few roosters as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed problems but that the more you have the more likely you are to have problems. I don't know if the right answer for you is zero or one.

You may be falling for a very common trap. Cockerels are naturally curious and bold. They will come out to meet you more than the girls. They have PERSONALITY! They are the ones you re most attracted to. They become your favorites. Oh, how devious they can be.

So they are about 6 weeks old. If you post a close-up photo showing the head so we can see the comb and wattles, and another photo showing legs, profile, and posture we might be able to make a pretty good guess as to sex.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I have purchased 4 chicks the end of April and surprisingly I received 5.and I was under the impression they were all hens but now I am beginning to see bumps on the legs of one of them. I am sure the spurs are going to be coming in. None of the others have this.The other chicks I have are 2 Orpington‘s, 1 marans and one Wyandotte and I know that Orpington are prone to be broody. If I have a rooster they will nest constantly probably won’t they? I just don’t want a rooster pulling the feathers off of their back and harassing them but I’ve gotten kind of attached to him but I don’t know if I should keep him. I’ve never had a rooster before

All chickens have spur bumps. Some hens have spurs. Don’t get ahead of yourself there. Unless you have a reason to believe it’s a rooster it’s probably a hen.

 

[ameliathedominant]

KEEP HIM. save this little one pls!

 

[Crestcrazy2]

Roosters are great for protecting your flock as well! You should keep him and see how he does if he's rude rehome him but if he's a good roo I think keep him .
I have an amazing rooster named blizzard and he's just a sweetest thing ever never attacked but it's still cautious and he doesn't pull the feathers off the ladies

 

[keesmom]

We need pictures. You may be worrying unnecessarily.

 

[unbaked pegga]

What are your goals with chickens? Why do you have them? How does having a rooster match your goals? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is just personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preference, I do a lot of things the way I do because of personal preference. But that is a choice, not a need.

I suggest you keep as few roosters as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed problems but that the more you have the more likely you are to have problems. I don't know if the right answer for you is zero or one.

You may be falling for a very common trap. Cockerels are naturally curious and bold. They will come out to meet you more than the girls. They have PERSONALITY! They are the ones you re most attracted to. They become your favorites. Oh, how devious they can be.

So they are about 6 weeks old. If you post a close-up photo showing the head so we can see the comb and wattles, and another photo showing legs, profile, and posture we might be able to make a pretty good guess as to sex.

The chickens are just pets. And I definitely don’t want fertile eggs. Orpington’s go broody so many times in the summer, and they turn into she devils. It is a real pain. I don’t want any chicks.I am going to try to post these pictures again I tried posting them a little while ago and they had a strike through them

 

[Folly's place]

Hens go broody with or without a rooster being present! Chick embryos only develop if the eggs are incubated, either under a broody hen, or in an incubator. Collecting eggs daily, or even every other day, takes care of that.
Mary