Which Are Hens, Which Are Roosters??

[StarLover21]

Yeah, they don't really have silky feathering...like this:

 

[DuckyLou]

Yes, they for sure do not look like that. I thought it was because they were still young... But oh well.

So I guess I will wait and see which rooster I will keep. I had heard that roosters that you raise are to tough to eat.... Is that true?

 

[HEChicken]

I had heard that roosters that you raise are to tough to eat.... Is that true?

Do you mean the meat is tough or it is tough to kill and eat a bird you've raised?

If the former, it depends on age. I usually do the deed after their first crow when they are about 16-17 weeks of age and they are very tender then. I've let them go as long as 6 months of age and the meat was still tender.

If you meant the latter - processing is never easy. If you think you will get too attached, prepare yourself now by avoiding too much emotional attachment to either of them now (which can be hard because roos are often very personable chicks). If one of them flogs you when they're older, you might find that makes it a lot easier to do the deed.

 

[BlueCamas]

I'd have to say #1 and #6 are cockerels. I have no clue about the silkie mixes though.

 

[hdowden]

1 cockerel
2 pullet
3 leaning towards cockerel
4 need comb shot (mixed silkie, has normal feathers)
5 need comb shot (mixed silkie, has normal feathers)
6 cockerel
7 pullet
8 pullet

 

[DuckyLou]

Do you mean the meat is tough or it is tough to kill and eat a bird you've raised?

If the former, it depends on age. I usually do the deed after their first crow when they are about 16-17 weeks of age and they are very tender then. I've let them go as long as 6 months of age and the meat was still tender.

If you meant the latter - processing is never easy. If you think you will get too attached, prepare yourself now by avoiding too much emotional attachment to either of them now (which can be hard because roos are often very personable chicks). If one of them flogs you when they're older, you might find that makes it a lot easier to do the deed.

I meant the meat....lol.... i had heard that the meat was tough. As too the latter, It would be tough to process one that was sweet and that i have hand raised.... but I also raise my own beef, from calves. I have come to the conclusion if I am going to eat meat I can either ignore the fact that the animal I am eating was alive and probably was cute at one time, and most likely was raised in an In-humane way, OR I can raise my own food in extremely humane conditions where the animal had a great, happy life. But that's my own conscience....lol

Oh and I also have an interesting story of a rooster that my mother had, and he cornered her and repeatedly attacked her, and I ended up chasing that thing through the woods for an hour to "do the deed". So you are right about when they flog you, it makes it real easy!

Thanks for all your responses to my chicken gender game!!!!

 

[AmyLM]

1,3, 6 are roos the rest... not... but its pretty early to tell.

 

[Pidgey104]

1,3,and 6 are roos

 

[PDXcluck]

...I have come to the conclusion if I am going to eat meat I can either ignore the fact that the animal I am eating was alive and probably was cute at one time, and most likely was raised in an In-humane way, OR I can raise my own food in extremely humane conditions where the animal had a great, happy life. But that's my own conscience....lol...

Cheers to that!

 

[Nicole01]

It might still be a little early to sex the RIR's. Here's my girl at 7weeks, she grew her comb and wattles at 4 weeks.

#6 does look like a boy for sure, but keep an eye on #1. Usually the boys grow a pretty solid short black/green tail. While the girls have some black in the long tail.