Ugh! - I'm sorry.

[Equest94]

Hi. I know I start posting every other week on this forum, asking the same question and I do apologize - "how can I tell the difference between a young hen and a young roo? - how to sex chicks" I'm just getting really annoyed... everytime my grandma comes over, she starts saying that "Ginger" and "Spanky" are roosters because they scwabble little. I try telling her that hens also try to establish a pecking order so a little "chest bumping and hopping" doesn't mean they are roosters and that they are still growing up and time will tell for sure; however, she is really old and European and doesn't quite understand my explaination...

Anyways, if you saw my other threads, I had some pics up of my little flock and asked if anyone could tell what sex they were... I still have no clue...

3 of them have most of their adult feathers in ("Lucy" is still really small and chick-like looking, so I won't count her/him in this blog)...

what age do roosters start to crow? I never heard mine say anything except for "cheep cheep" or if they get scared they'll let out a "bauk!" and kind'a scream... "Spanky" has a slightly deeper voice at times; a lower "burrk" which sounds almost like a little horn, but I still never heard crowing or anything else really roostery, she/he only does that when it's fed up or annoyed.

Anyways, here are some updatd pictures:

"Ginger":
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1343.jpg
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1340.jpg
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1336.jpg

"Spanky":
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=063007_1344b.jpg
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1339.jpg
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1338.jpg

"Bo-Peep": - one odd looking chicken
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1338a.jpg
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1338b.jpg
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=070407_1335.jpg

Group Shots:
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=063007_1344a.jpg
* http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f194/MCFNEO/?action=view&current=063007_1344.jpg


Any thoughts or inputs would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and again I apologize for this constant questioning.

 

[lurky]

I love bo-peep

 

[Equest94]

Quote:
haha, thank you

 

[yearofthedog]

Hi,
How old is Ginger and is she a red sex link? I have a RSL(Ginger looks almost identical to my RSL, Penny!)and mine is about 3 months old...I'm almost certain that mine is a girl, but we could compare the waddles and comb of Ginger and my Penny(if they are close in age) and that might give us a clue? I'll try and get a picture of Penny up in a few...

 

[eggcetra_farms]

The only one who looks even slightly "boyish" is Ginger, but that's only because of the bigger wattles. The comb still looks small. How old are they?

 

[Equest94]

Quote:
Hello. I'm pretty new to this chicken-thing... I think Spanky and Bo-Peep are EE...Bo-Peep might have a little Silkie blood too because he/she has a really weird smooth comb and a slight beard and mini "head-wig" growing... as for Ginger, I'm not sure what breed exactly I think it's a Brahma...

People previously told me that my chicks maybe sex link... I think they are all around 2 1/2 months olds...probably getting closer to 3. If you could get pics of Penny so we could compare that would be great! Thank you.

 

[yearofthedog]

Boy, it took everything out of me to take those pictures! I'm sorry they are not pretty at all! Penny was NOT cooperating...but I managed to get a decent picture of her comb and waddles. It sounds like your Ginger is just about the same age as mine, going on 3 months. From your pictures, Ginger and Penny seem to be about the same size and very similar feathering. But Ginger's waddles are larger.

Here's Penny...

Hope this helps!

Cindy

 

[Equest94]

Quote:
Aww Penny's really beautiful!. Again, I m not quite sure exactly how old my chicks are...I bought them about 2 1/2 - 3 months ago and they were supposidly a week old then...well, at least that's what the lady that we got them from told us; however, as they are growing, they all seem to be at different stage... Ginger seemed to have been the biggest from the start and the first to develop...Spanky just recently sprouted....Bo-Peep, is still on the smaller scale but doesn't let the others push her/him around too much...

Ginger's comb is about the same size as Penny's, but I do agreed the waddle is much bigger; however, it's been that size for a few weeks already and doesn't seem to have gotten any bigger...I'm not sure if I have a fast developing hen or a slow maturing Rooster - lol. Oh well. Thank you very much for the pictures (I know how hard it can be to take of them

).

 

[BeckyLa]

imho, I think you should just say thank you to your Grandma and appreciate the fact that she's interested enough to even care. Whether she is right or wrong, she's trying to share her experience and knowledge with you and you should be thankful for that. Who's right doesn't really matter, time will tell about the chickens. Just give her a big hug and tell her how much you love her while you still can.....

 

[Equest94]

Quote:
Wow... I'm not rude to her. I don't even argue with her. She's the one who grabs me and tells me that my chickens are good for nothing creatures and how she's going to eat my "roosters" (whihc according to her, ALL 4 of mine are).... I love my birds and would really not want to hear about the many different European recipes that my "roosters" are going to be used for... according to her, chickens are just livestock....they are not pets.... I do not intend on eating them...I'm just hoping for a few hens so I can get a few eggs...however, the more my dad hears about us having a bunch of roosters, the more he wants to get rid of them, and I don't want the babies I raised up getting eaten but anyone esp. served to me for dinner.

my question was how can I tell if my chicks are roos or pullets and what do other people on this site think of them - any suggestions or thoughts on my birds...not on how I should treat my grandmother. Don't get me wrong, I love my grandparents, but my grandmother can stop badgering about how I made a mistake and bought ALL roosters (which I think is not fully true) and as for the "oh grandmother, time will tell" I get an answer that translates to "oh you little wench, you know nothing at all". So...you're advice is wonderful about appreciating the time I have left with them...but it's not really proper nor relavent to my situation, but thank you anyways.