Urgent Please - Need to Know Gender

[thailand]

Hi everyone,

Updates on my chicks which has me wondering....hopefully someone can clue me in?

Two things. Today the chicks were panting from the heat as usual (in the 30's here in Thailand at the moment) but then they started doing something weird. They opened their beaks wide and kind of lunged forward. They did this on and off a number of times.

Second thing - for the first time since I've had them (not even a week yet) chicks no. 1 and no. 2 starting fighting/facing off/rushing at each other and bumping chests! What is this? Does this mean that they are both cockerals dualing it out (only 3 weeks old now), or is it that both these chicks are pullets battling for the pecking order??? I'm confused.

All the while, chick no. 3 sat quietly out of the way paying no attention to the goings on at all.

Any ideas anyone??

 

[Wild Trapper]

Temps anything over 30C is hot for chicks of the age of yours, so they will pant, even hens do that, plus they drink more when they are too hot.

Not sure about why #3 chick acts kinda lethargic compared to the other two, but even pullets will run and jump at each other or at least mine have. Older hens will just peck and sometimes chase each other, while others are more anti-social and keep to themselves. One thing you will notice, no two will be alike, they have their own personalities, which is part of what you are seeing.

 

[thailand]

Hi,

Ok so I guess the big open mouth thing is just them being hot then. I'm trying to keep them cool while at the same time not wanting them to get chilled. It seems to be an almost impossible line to walk. How does one do that?

The fighting thing - so does that change any opinions about the gender of chick no. 2? Mostly everyone has said that chick no. is definately a pullet. Maybe both are pullets then just facing off for dominance? Would a cockeral interfere in this pecking order thing between pullets?

 

[shandiane78]

If they are truly only 3 weeks old, then they all look like little cockerels to me...I've never seen a pullet with pinkness in the comb at that age. It's way too early to look for saddle feathers.