What are we??? Six banties 6 weeks old.

[littlekit]

Our 6 banties are out in the coop and free-ranging today in an enclosed area. 2 are dominique and 4 are buff mixes. One of the doms has a very red comb and struts.
One of the pics shows the "sparring" they do sometimes. Do both sexes play this game or is this a tell-tale sign of roos?

Thanks for all your help. pics are a mixed bag, but I think you can get an idea of who's who.

Everyone

Roo? Clare

Francis

Rosy

Rosy flying

Henrietta

Gus-Gus

Clare and Beatrice (largest buff) sparring with the head up and down and then pouncing on top of one another.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Clare is a roo, can't tell so much on the others. Great pics of them playing!
Too cute!

Girls will occasionally spar too.

 

[littlekit]

Thank you! Clare was bossy and had a red head two weeks ago so I'm not too surprised.

By the by, are the hens safer with a roo around _ will he go after predators? And should he stay in the same coop?

It's fun watching them run around for the first time free. At one point they all tore back into the coop and I looked up and saw a hawk. Instincts are a cool thing.

 

[littlekit]

Anyone else have ideas of gender with this bunch?

 

[SilkieCRZYness]

I think GUS GUS is a roo to. Cute tho

 

[CindyS]

clare is roo francis is pullet gus gus is roo, beatrice is roo. all white ones are not individually pictured? henrietta looks roo, the one behind henrietta looks pullet.l

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Pics 2, 5, 6 (two outer birds) and 7 are cockerels, the rest are pullets, IMO.

 

[Goose and Fig]

As for your other question- the roos won't necessarilly "go after" predators. They keep a lookout for the girls, and if they spot danger they will alert everyone and get them to safety. I've seen this happen a few times. Everyone is out forageing, and suddenly they'll all run back to the coop or up on the deck. (And it wasn't like they when they run for food) They all stood "at attention" for a few minutes and went back to doing chicken stuff.

 

[littlekit]

Thank you all so much. Sounds like we may have four roos. I wonder if four roos in a coop have ever co-existed peacefully. Guess I'll ask that question later. I appreciate all the comments! In a couple weeks I'll take better (individual) pics. When I have an assistant :}
Everyone take care!
Kristin

 

[Goose and Fig]

You can keep everyone together for quite a while. You've got time

I have a smaller coop just for my extra roos. In case I ever want to switch one out for a different color, or if something happens to one of my breeders. There are 5 in there now, and will be 7 total. They have been getting along fine because there are no girls to fight over. I love the days that they free-range together- such a pretty shiny bunch