Young chicken behavior- polish- roosters?

[Eckielady]

I have three young polish that I haven't been able to sex yet (for sure but I've had some strong feelings about a couple). The last 24 hours two of them have been fighting. They've never done this before. Only for a couple of minutes but hackles up and doing the boxing dance. Wouldn't this be male behavior? I know, I've had hens do this also but just wondered if chicks that were best buds a couple of days ago would only start to do this If they were both roosters?

 

[peopleRanimals2]

Hi! I can't tell you for sure, but if they are young they could just be establishing a pecking order. My chicks used to jump on top of each other. It startled me at first, but they eventually stopped when they figured out where everyone stood. Have fun with your chicks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have three young polish that I haven't been able to sex yet (for sure but I've had some strong feelings about a couple). The last 24 hours two of them have been fighting. They've never done this before. Only for a couple of minutes but hackles up and doing the boxing dance. Wouldn't this be male behavior? I know, I've had hens do this also but just wondered if chicks that were best buds a couple of days ago would only start to do this If they were both roosters?

Not necessarily male behavior. All birds do that whether male or female.
I've seen pullets and adult hens square off just like fighting cocks.

 

[Eckielady]

Yes, I've watched my hens do this also. I just wondered if hens would do it in a close knit group like this. I forgot to mention these guys are probably 3-4 months old. I think I hoped it would be rooster behavior. Dang polish. I need to know what sex they are. Ha!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

By that age there should be a difference in hackle, wing and tail feathers. Males usually have thicker and longer legs than females.
Oh, I forgot you were dealing with polish. They're easy to tell apart from their head feathers. The females will have a perfectly rounded crest as though they just came from the coiffure. The boys will have crests that are in disarray like they're having a bad hair day.

 

[Eckielady]

By that age there should be a difference in hackle, wing and tail feathers. Males usually have thicker and longer legs than females.
Oh, I forgot you were dealing with polish. They're easy to tell apart from their head feathers. The females will have a perfectly rounded crest as though they just came from the coiffure. The boys will have crests that are in disarray like they're having a bad hair day.

Yes, one has much thicker legs and I'm guessing he's a rooster. All of them have very similar crests right now though. Seems like they've been getting longer and such so thinking I'll be able to tell soon.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you scroll through all the pictures in the following link, you'll see what I mean about the difference in the crests.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Polish/BRKPolish.html
Chicks are always at the bottom of Feathersite pages.

 

[aart]

By that age there should be a difference in hackle, wing and tail feathers. Males usually have thicker and longer legs than females.
Oh, I forgot you were dealing with polish. They're easy to tell apart from their head feathers. The females will have a perfectly rounded crest as though they just came from the coiffure. The boys will have crests that are in disarray like they're having a bad hair day.

Like Rod Stewart vs. Richard Simmons?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Exactly.