straight run

[jmemom]

Hello everyone,

I have some SR BOs that are about 18 weeks old. I got them so that we could process a few and see what we think of processing chickens ourselves, but I also needed some egg layers. I know I should process them around 20ish weeks, but the problem is that I have no idea who is a roo and who is not. I also got straight run Buckeyes (only 3 left thanks to a fox) and one of them is the head honcho roo. He is the only one I've heard crow at all. They sent me 11 BOs, I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be some roos in there.

How do I figure out who is who?? The whole flock (also have 5 BR pullets) is very laid back and there isn't much fighting, just some puffed feathers from time to time. None are laying yet, and when they do start laying I won't have time to babysit who is laying and who isn't. I've looked through some of the sexing threads on BOs, but it sounds like they are very hard to sex until they crow or lay. I've considered trying to isolate them one or two at a time and see if they crow by themselves, but is that going to make a mess of the balance of the flock in the meantime? Will that even work anyway? What do you think?

 

[itsy]

You have pics for us? Maybe we will see something you're missing?

Do you see a big difference in leg thickness/foot size?

 

[bigredfeather]

You can sex them by checking their saddle feathers, which are the feathers right at the base of the tail (but on their body). A pullet will have rounded ones and the cockerals will have pointed ones. If you have any other mature chickens that you know the sex, look at them first and it will become fairly obvious.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
I would think the combs and wattles on the male Orps would have started to show more color than the female's long before now, and the males be larger both in comb/wattle and just over-all body size now. If you have none that stand out, I would be afraid they might all be male. My experience with minimum order straight runs [except CX] from hatchies offereng sexed chicks is that the chick's male to female ratio leaned heavily towards male.

 

[jmemom]

I am noticing some differences in them. Some are certainly more red in the face than others, but I see where people thought the red ones would be roosters but they ended up laying eggs.

I'm sorry, I realize these are not very good quality. My camera is not very good, and the chickens are not very cooperative!!!

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Looks like you have a pair in the last pic but if I were you I'd be delighted they aren't crowing their heads off. There is nothing wrong with leaving them grow out past 20 weeks, I prefer to actually. They will keep getting bigger and more meaty and when they start crowing and being a nucence is when I process them.

 

[jmemom]

Thanks for your opinion! I can try to get more pics if it helps anyone to give me more opinions on what I have. I have a very easy going flock. They rarely bicker or fight (so far). Time is a precious commodity around here come fall, so I'd like to do it sooner rather than later, but if we have to wait we will just have to work something out! Hubbie worked on a chicken plucker today, so we are getting things together for the big day.

(The bigger and meatier part is tempting...

)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I once got 7 pullets from 7 straight run Buff Orps from Cackle Hatchery. Made me wonder if they messed up my order and gave me sexed chicks.

To be honest, yours look like practically all of them are pullets. Even that one with the comb and wattles in the last photo has a pullet-looking configuration.

The odds of you getting 11 straight run and all of them being pulllets is extreme. The odds of the hatchery messing up the order may not be as extreme. Just something to think about.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
Picts of the plucker!!!

P-P-P-Please!

 

[In His Service]

Quote:
x2