Waited as long as I could, need help on gender and at least one breed

[bburn]

Yazzo.....I love you! Have been waiting on you to comment!!! Yeah me! A hen!! Harriet it is! She really does have a sweet face and a sweet disposition. Kept thinking she had to be a hen. I knew the color was really gray and kept thinking about the barred rocks. I do have two barred rock that are roosters.

Gosh it seems I love them all. But am having to do something to about 15 of them! Way too many in the pen for the number of girls. My grandaughter and I decided yesterday that no matter what Harry/Harriet was staying.

We pulled five RIR roosters yesterday and put them in the tractor. There are still four more in the run. They were not happy but they are safe and well fed until we figure out what we are going to do. (am saying we, but my husband is working out of town so it is ME)

It was amazing to watch the difference in the flock bahavior after pulling five roo's out. Isn't pecking order an amazing thing? The RIR roos are really aggresive. My goal is to get down to two roosters and never buy straight run again. I can cook them but I don't like the thought of processing them and I have to decide about that in the next couple of days.

Thanks for posting. I will proudly post Harriet's first egg when it happens!

 

[tamelroy]

I think they are all boys too! I have cochins and it looks like a roo.

 

[bburn]

Bummer! Am going to hold out for Harriet! If not, Harry will stay forever anyway! He/she has no rooster actions ever.....very calm, very sweet and non-aggressive.

 

[Yazzo]

Yazzo.....I love you! Have been waiting on you to comment!!! Yeah me! A hen!! Harriet it is! She really does have a sweet face and a sweet disposition. Kept thinking she had to be a hen. I knew the color was really gray and kept thinking about the barred rocks. I do have two barred rock that are roosters.

Gosh it seems I love them all. But am having to do something to about 15 of them! Way too many in the pen for the number of girls. My grandaughter and I decided yesterday that no matter what Harry/Harriet was staying.

We pulled five RIR roosters yesterday and put them in the tractor. There are still four more in the run. They were not happy but they are safe and well fed until we figure out what we are going to do. (am saying we, but my husband is working out of town so it is ME)

It was amazing to watch the difference in the flock bahavior after pulling five roo's out. Isn't pecking order an amazing thing? The RIR roos are really aggresive. My goal is to get down to two roosters and never buy straight run again. I can cook them but I don't like the thought of processing them and I have to decide about that in the next couple of days.

Thanks for posting. I will proudly post Harriet's first egg when it happens! jumpy

Lol, thanks. Keep in mind that I'm not TOTALLY sure, but if you've been thinking that too, you're probably right. Trust your instinct!

She doesn't seem to have rooster saddle-feathers either now that I look again. How old is she though? If she's pretty young, she COULD be a rooster, but if the ones next to her are the same age, then she's a hen for sure (or a very hen like rooster at least).

I had a few too many roosters which I put in the orchard on 'grasshopper patrol' until I could sell them to good homes (which I did). I just can't bear to see them eaten anymore.....
For people who eat a lot of chicken though, it's much better just to eat your own, instead of buying the factory-farmed chickens of the store.

Chicken behavior and pecking order certainly is an amazing thing indeed.....RIRs and Barred Rocks tend to be the more aggressive ones.

I shall be waiting for that first egg too.

 

[bburn]

Yazzo....I really think hen. I have gone back out and watched her several times since I posted. The boys are slyly sneaking up on the girls these days to see if they are interested. She pays attention to where all the others are and if a roo gets close she scoots away really quickly. No one ever picks on her that I can see and she does not pick on them. And now that I know what saddle feathers are and can see them on all the others...including the BO....I certainly can't see them on the cochin. So, maybe we are right. And yes, she is the same age as the others.

Not sure about the processing thing....at all. But my stepson is going to help me and we are going to do one. If we can do it again we will....if not I am going to put some more fence around the garden and turn them loose in it to turn it and fertilize it. Will wait until my husband comes home after that and he can decide what to do with them. I just know that I can't let them all stay in the coop with the girls because it won't be fair to the girls. The numbers are just way off.....

At least I have a place for the most aggressive roo's for now. Four more just like them still in the coop. I posted my chicken tractor and rooster rodeo this morning.

Praying for a little cochin egg....lol....

 

[bella1210]

i think they are all roos