To early to tell?

[AmberH]

My RIR just hit 3 weeks old today. Is it too early to guess what it is? His/her name is Seamus. I home I'm not going to have to change the name. I'm really hoping for a little boy.

This is a Cornish Rock. I've never kept one for a pet before so we'll see how that works out. lol I can't tell the difference between the male and females of this cross. lol My friend said "they don't have sexes." That's can't be true. Three weeks old also.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Yep to early to tell on the RIR. The meat bird is a roo. It won't make a good pet either. When it is 8-10 weeks old it will be ready to butcher. I have a friend that kept one for 8 months once before it died on it's own.

 

[AmberH]

Good to know about little Seamus. I'll keep this thead and post pics as s/he grows. I really want it to be a boy.

Thanks for IDing the fatty. I've already gotten some lectures about him being a pet. He's definately the ugliest thing I've ever owned. I've given some thought about selling him at the 4-H auction but we'll see when the time comes.

Thank you.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I'd wait another week or two and see if the comb on Seamus turns red or not. If it doesn't turn out to be a rooster, you'll have plenty to choose from--roosters are pretty easy to get. Good luck--I hope he's able to stay Seamus for you! As it is, I'm leaning towards pullet, but it really could go either way.

I hate to say it (as a vegetarian/animal rights activist, trust me, I really do), but I think the cornish X would probably be better off being butchered at the proper age. I just can't imagine a cornish X living much of a normal or quality life with how fast they grow.

Having raised some in an Animal Science course (not by my choice, mind you, it's the standard experiment for the class) alongside Buff Orpingtons, I now completely understand why it's better to just put these birds down when they were meant to go. I'm sure you'll make the right decision for the bird, regardless of which one it is, when the time comes--but just...keep it in mind. I personally think keeping an animal alive that was born to die early and could drop dead at any moment would be rather sad...

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Seamus' comb is yellow, but w/ all my lil peepers, the girls ALL have a heck of a lot more tail going on than that fuzzybutt. Really, a lot more feathering in general. I tend to lean toward the tail/feathering speed as my indicator, so I think it still might be a roo despite the lack of comb action. Guess only time will tell though!

 

[AmberH]

Thanks for the replies.
I've been without chickens for a little over two years so I'm excited to see these guys grow up despite what they are.

Amber

 

[HathawayHens]

I don't know if it matters or not, but my 15 day old RIR (see pics in my thread about EE's and sexing) has many more feathers than yours already... I have heard that may mean pullet? So if yours is older and has fewer feathers maybe he is a he!

I love the name! Ours was named Ginny, but then she started to fly, so my son renamed her Amelia.