The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[ronott1]

when look ing at 7-8 week old heritage RIR, is it my imagination or can you start to see the sheen and shine on the hackles of the cockerels ? can this be one way to distinguish pullets from cockerels?

I always know the pullets from the cockerels at 6 weeks old.

 

[winniem13]

Im having the hardest time with these guys. one minute I think I have 6 pullets the next I think I have all cockerels. this is an old photo from about 2 weeks ago, so they would have been 6 weeks old. Mr. Bobby Anderson has already told me he thinks this is a cockerel. Concur?

 

[Fred's Hens]

By that age most of mine have enough comb to tell. Most pullets will get tails faster also.

Ron

Tail length is a good early indicator. Last batch, I put a zip tie on all birds with short tails at 4 weeks. 100% correct at 8 weeks for cockerels. That said, the red comb and wattles at 6-8 weeks is a dead give away. Those are the two indicators I use anyhow.

 

[FOGELLY]

Im having the hardest time with these guys. one minute I think I have 6 pullets the next I think I have all cockerels. this is an old photo from about 2 weeks ago, so they would have been 6 weeks old. Mr. Bobby Anderson has already told me he thinks this is a cockerel. Concur?

If that is a 6 week old chick, I would say pullet.

 

[winniem13]

If that is a 6 week old chick, I would say pullet.

See why I am confused? Their combs are all about that size and they have not grown ANY in 2 weeks. They are large fowl single comb. but I thought I imagined some glossy sheen on them this weekend ( first time in sunlight). Confused. And then just when I thought I was getting good at this chicken stuff!!!

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
I hatched 7 out of 9 Cream Legbar x Crele Pene eggs--this is an auto sexing cross--and all 7 chicks looked the same. I refused to believe that I could have hatched all pullets. Well that is what I did--hatched all pullets.

It is possible that you did too!

 

[immyjay54]

when look ing at 7-8 week old heritage RIR, is it my imagination or can you start to see the sheen and shine on the hackles of the cockerels ? can this be one way to distinguish pullets from cockerels?

I personally go as much if not more on the wattles then combs. Some of my pullets have a little larger comb and no wattle at all and I'm usually right on guessing them. You notice I said usually and guessing. lol
Jim

 

[FOGELLY]

See why I am confused? Their combs are all about that size and they have not grown ANY in 2 weeks. They are large fowl single comb. but I thought I imagined some glossy sheen on them this weekend ( first time in sunlight). Confused. And then just when I thought I was getting good at this chicken stuff!!!

The pullets from these old time Reds don't have very large combs. They won't get bigger until onset of lay.
So if all of them look like this one, you will need a cockerel or two.


Ron

 

[immyjay54]

If that is a 6 week old chick, I would say pullet.

same here pullet

 

[chicksnthestiks]

Hi Bob, yes that female pictured above is my bird, from Matt, Mohawk line. I think she is one of the better ones I have, so I have her in a pen by herself so I can collect her eggs and mark them as hers. The other hens are in one big pen with the male. I had a lot of trouble with these hens picking the feathers on the backs of the other hens---I think they weren't getting enough protein in the 17% layer pellet since Matt wasn't having that problem and mine are brother-sister to his birds. I boosted up the protein and I don't see as much of that behavior, but I think some of them got in the habit. I put the male in the pen, he was in great show condition, perfect tail. Now it is all ratty looking from the hens picking it and his back feathers are too. I don't know what else I can do to stop that picking, I even put peepers on some of them and it made no difference.

Bob I saw your other post about your garden. If you really want raspberries, try the variety called Dormanred. I got some plants from Womack Nursery in Texas and they produced here in the desert heat! I even had enough one year to make pies. If they can take our heat, they will produce in Alabama. Said to be the only raspberry variety that can withstand southern heat.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking Go to the end of this thread and read about the bump-a-bits. A Forco dealer in Colorado ordered 500 from the U.K. (minimum order) as that was the only place to get correct size for chickens. The price is very reasonable.