White Rock Rooster??

[CoopedUpChicken]

We have a wyandotte rooster chick and a white rock (among other female chicks) - all 5 weeks old.

I put them out in the pen for the first time today and they all loved it, but...

I noticed that the white rock and the wyandotte were really challenging each other a lot!

I question whether the white rock chick (5 weeks old) is a rooster - because it has a bright red comb and starting to get the bright red waddle and I think that might be a bit early to get if it was a female. And, he/she/it is challenging the actual male chick a lot!

What do you think?

 

[junebuggena]

Girls don't start developing and turning pink in the combs until they are almost ready to lay; usually at about 14 to 18 weeks. Any chick with a bright pink comb before 10 weeks old is a boy.

 

[CoopedUpChicken]

Dangit! We have some acreage. So what will happen when they start to free range? Will they form 2 different "flocks"? I've only got enough hens to keep 1 rooster occupied. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. If anything, the country store where I got our chicks from freely takes roosters (and hens) back... Why would they take roosters back? They always have some roosters there waiting to be bought...

 

[junebuggena]

A lot of people just starting out in chickens order pullets. Then, after a year or so, decide they want a rooster for their girls. Buying an adult rooster, there's a better assurance of his temperament. They don't have to wait till he's all grown up to figure out if he's going to start attacking everything in sight.

 

[Folly's place]

How many hens will you have? Two roosters might be fine if they get along and you have 15 to 20 hens (number varies). I would keep both cockrels until you see who's a better boy, or until one starts challenging people. Mary

 

[CoopedUpChicken]

Ahhh, good idea! We have 14 pullets and I guess 2 cockerels. The Gold Laced Wyandotte, as of now, seems much calmer than the White Rock cockeral. It's the White Rock that keeps starting everything for the most part... I did read about some roosters being particularly aggressive. So it makes sense to wait and see who is better. Who knows...they might just get along