What breed or gender?

[Shesapip]

The Ameraucana cheeks are there, but the legs are yellow. About 12 weeks old. It liked to box with another pullet that turned out to be a roo.

I hope the pictures came through.

 

[vtsarahb]

Hmm... I would say EE if not for the yellow legs! Definitely a boy though.

 

[sherrydeanne]

EE mix, looks like a definate roo.

 

[Shesapip]

Thank you both so much!

I am so discouraged, though.

This is my first year (first 2 1/2 months, actually) with chickens and it looks like a lot of the pullets I bought at 8 weeks (at $10 a pop) are actually roosters. I've got people lined up to buy organic eggs and I've been waiting for these girls to mature to laying age.

Now, at best, if I pay the $3 processing fee, I'll have a $13 chicken for dinner.

Several of them! Plus, the cost of buying new pullets and feeding them until they start laying (or crowing)!

To make it worse, when I finally found affordable pullets, I drove a great distance to buy them and then brought extras back and sold them! Roosters are popping up everywhere! Of course I'm taking them back and giving their money back.

I am buying sex-links this time!

P.S. Is this a new thread? I'm new to forums.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Sounds to me like you were taken--at 8 weeks with many breeds you can make a pretty good guess as to gender--and $10 for an 8 week bird is a lot unless the bird is purebred exhibition potential or a rare breed.

I think you should contact the person who sold you pullets and ask for a refund.

Breed? Not a clue, and unless I knew he came out of a blue or green egg I would never guess EE--it seems like that is all anyone ever suspects an unknown of being.

 

[Shesapip]

Thanks for the input, SonoranSilkies. I do feel I've been taken.

I should clarify - I have another post about an 18-week roo. That one I paid $10 for at 8 weeks. Turns out he's not an RIR, but a production red, and not a pullet as the feed store told me (a local spot that advertised on Craigslist, not a chain). I'm now looking at the other 3 I bought with him and thinking there may be other roos among them. I should post their pics.

This guy I bought as a pullet at 8 weeks for $2.50. Not a bad price, but I wouldn't have bought it and tended it for three months had I known it was a rooster.

I haven't found any info on the net about sexing birds at any age other than 1-3 days old with vent or feather checks. What can I look for at eight weeks?

Thanks again for your feedback.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I don't recall the specific age at which it is noticeable, but hackle and saddle feathers on males are almost always pointed at the ends, whereas on females the tips are rounded.

And the general rule of comb & wattle development is faster in males than females.

 

[Shesapip]

Okay, I'm getting really tweaked!

Here's one that I was SURE was a hen. I named her "Dove" because of her great coloring.

Also, there's a multiple shot of chickens - can you tell if the production red in the back is a roo? I haven't taken any shots of the others because up til now I hadn't suspected they were roos.

Thanks!

I'll have to take photos of the other 3 production reds.

 

[sherrydeanne]

Quote:
I'm not one of those

He has muffs and no waddles to speak of, that screams of EE mix as a definate possibility

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Dove is a pullet--look at the shape of the feather itself--not the shape of the lace.

Can't tell on the reds, sorry.