Chickens
DiSteve
Posts: 33
Are there any experienced chicken owners out there? If so are you able to tell me hen or cock from the picture?
0
DiSteve
Posts: 33
DiSteve
Posts: 33
DiSteve
Posts: 33
DiSteve
Posts: 33
Are there any experienced chicken owners out there? If so are you able to tell me hen or cock from the picture?
Posts
Too young to tell.
Some chicken breeds you can sex at that age (or even younger) because the colouring of some breeds is 'sex-linked) and the males have different colourings to females.
However, without knowing the breed (and purity) of your chook you won't be able to tell until it's older and develops distinctive male sickle shaped tail feathers, male wattles and comb etc.
You can find more help here http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/index.php?sid=3fac06173deaee90f858206e4df7f513
Last edited: 08 August 2016 19:22:57
Looks like a 'Sussex'. Unless you are an expert chick sexer you won't know for a few months, as Dove says. I kept chickens for years and was usually surprised.
As you say Redwing 'looks like a Sussex' ... one of my favourite breeds ... but I've seen hens that look like a pure Sussex, mated with a Sussex cockerel, produce a mulitfarious variety of coloured chicks
Thank you.....
this is the story - our neighbour on allotment had a broody hen, so we bought 6 hatching eggs. Sadly she trampled 3, then the one in the picture hatched, then she neglected the 2 remaining eggs.
We purchased a selection of eggs, 2 of which were Sussex, so the chick is a Sussex for sure. It hatched on 30th June.......Unfortunately we aren't aloud to keep cockerels on allotment, so we will have to give it away, however if it's a hen how do we go about introducing more hens? Will they fight? what age will we know the sex?
we want eggs......!!!
I'd buy a few 6-8wk old chickens and introduce yours to them. They shouldn't fight at that age if they've got plenty of space and things to do to occupy them. If yours turns (or any of the others) turn out to be cockerels then you'll have to dispose of them before they start crowing.
Interesting discussion here http://forum.thepoultrysite.com/discussion/10752/redirect/p1
If you don't want to face the possibility of 'disposing' of several cocks, my preferred option would be to buy Point of Lay pullets in the spring - at least you'll be sure you've ot got cockerels.
However, your chick needs company now ...
Last edited: 09 August 2016 09:23:26
Mum is still with her at the moment, so she's not lonely.
What would happen if we removed mum & introduced some point of lays now? Would they fight?
You might find that he/she gets picked on - being so much smaller - it might be worth trying keeping mum with him/her for protection until he/she is big enough to stand up for him/herself ...