VultureStew
Hatching
- Jul 12, 2016
- 4
- 0
- 7
Hello kind folks - I've lurked here for months, through the successful set up of a small coop & run, and then again as I incubated eggs for the first time. We had a successful hatch of 6 birds, and all 6 are now 7.5 weeks old. And I'm at the part of this process where I waffle daily between "I think they're ALL roosters" and "maybe they're all hens." Figured I'd come straight to the source of knowledge with some photos. Feel free to tell me I'm crazy or that it's WAY too early to figure this out.
The six eggs were from a neighbor's coop. She has
icelandics
lavendar orpingtons
RIRs
Delawares
So these chicks are probably the poultry version of mutts.
Chick #1 is the white one. Has quite a comb/wattle happening and has been the most bold since hatch.
Chick #2 is the black one. Almost no comb or wattle (still yellow), and pretty shy.
Chick #3 is the smallest brown mottled one. Almost no comb or wattle, very shy.
Chick #4 is the bigger brown mottled one. Almost no comb or wattle, but... the only one of the bunch with pointier neck feathers. And also extremely bold and pecky.
Chick #5 (larger wattle)
Chick #6 (darker beak)
Chicks 5 and 6 are both gray, roughly the same size. One has ever-so-slightly larger wattle, but combs on both birds are about the same size. One has tail feathers pointing slightly upward, while the one with the slightly larger wattle has tail feathers that point (slighty) down. Neither has any obvious differences in neck or saddle feathers (at least not to my thoroughly untrained eye). There's not a huge difference in personalities between the two.
chicks 4, 5, and 1.
chick 5
Chick 2 (whole body shot)
Chick 4 - not much comb or wattle, but hugely brash personality and pointer neck feathers than anyone else
chick 3
Chick 6 (whole body) and 5 standing behind. You can kind of see in this picture the minor difference in tail feathers and wattles.
My best guess at this point is
Chick 1: cockerel
Chick 2: pullet
Chick 3: pullet
Chick 4: cockerel (even though almost no wattle/comb?)
Chick 5: cockerel
Chick 6: pullet
Or is this just wishful thinking on my part, and they are all roosters? No one is crowing yet.
I appreciate any/all insight - and thanks so much for the great forums. I've learned a ton just lurking.
-Erika
The six eggs were from a neighbor's coop. She has
icelandics
lavendar orpingtons
RIRs
Delawares
So these chicks are probably the poultry version of mutts.
Chick #1 is the white one. Has quite a comb/wattle happening and has been the most bold since hatch.
Chick #2 is the black one. Almost no comb or wattle (still yellow), and pretty shy.
Chick #3 is the smallest brown mottled one. Almost no comb or wattle, very shy.
Chick #4 is the bigger brown mottled one. Almost no comb or wattle, but... the only one of the bunch with pointier neck feathers. And also extremely bold and pecky.
Chick #5 (larger wattle)
Chick #6 (darker beak)
Chicks 5 and 6 are both gray, roughly the same size. One has ever-so-slightly larger wattle, but combs on both birds are about the same size. One has tail feathers pointing slightly upward, while the one with the slightly larger wattle has tail feathers that point (slighty) down. Neither has any obvious differences in neck or saddle feathers (at least not to my thoroughly untrained eye). There's not a huge difference in personalities between the two.
chicks 4, 5, and 1.
chick 5
Chick 2 (whole body shot)
Chick 4 - not much comb or wattle, but hugely brash personality and pointer neck feathers than anyone else
chick 3
Chick 6 (whole body) and 5 standing behind. You can kind of see in this picture the minor difference in tail feathers and wattles.
My best guess at this point is
Chick 1: cockerel
Chick 2: pullet
Chick 3: pullet
Chick 4: cockerel (even though almost no wattle/comb?)
Chick 5: cockerel
Chick 6: pullet
Or is this just wishful thinking on my part, and they are all roosters? No one is crowing yet.
I appreciate any/all insight - and thanks so much for the great forums. I've learned a ton just lurking.-Erika
