Storms and chickens

[xChicken04x]

I keep going back to the pictures and just can't decide! He/she really isn't making it easy for us.

Would you like me to post on Practical Poultry on behalf of you?

This is so difficult! He/she has both cockerel and hen features. I cant see any sickle feathers though....but he/she is only 12 weeks.

 

I really hope he/she is a girl! Is there no way you could keep it anyway?

 

xx

[hpops]

If you could post on Practical Poultry I would really appreciate it. I can't imagine the neighbours putting up with it to be honest - and what about the eggs being fetilised?? Surely you have to check to see whether they are fetilised before you eat them??

 

I will take some pictures of the feather shapes against a dark background tonight when I go home and see if that sheds any light on the situation!!

 

Thanks so much for all your help guys!!

[The Dogmother]

You can eat fertilised eggs - no problem

[hpops]

oh really??? That's seems wrong!!!

[The Dogmother]

They look and taste just the same. If you've ever eaten freerange supermarket eggs, I bet you've eaten fertilised eggs.

[Jules.]

I'm no expert om chooks (only had them since May) but I think you have a boy there looking at the tail feathers.

I hope I'm wrong.

[xChicken04x]

Evening all, I have just posted on the Practical Poultry website to see if anyone can help us with sexing your chicken.

Here is a link to the topic:

http://kelseyinfo.co.uk/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1197916952

 

Watch this space

 

xx

[Egluntyne]

They do say that if you throw something into the air near the chickens, the boys will stand to attention and look skywards and the girls will cower. maybe you could try that and see what happens.

[feemcg]

Mmm.. couple of replies so far on Practical Poultry also saying boy

[hpops]

Since looking at physical features hasn't proved to be very conclusive!! I have been watching Chickychickerson's behaviour (I know wierd name!!!) and I have noticed that if there is a pecking order flurry - he tends to jump up in the air as a way of ascerting his/her status rather than pecking at the tail - this strikes me as boyish behaviour??? Noine of my other girls do this but then as we all know all chickens have their wierd little quirky things! He/she also is more ready to have a peck at my two bigger chicken whereas my other two chick wouldn't dare - so either a very brave but slightly wierd girl - or typical boy behaviour!!! I must say the guys on practical poultry both erred on the side of boy - it was too dark when I got home last night to inspect the feather shape - they'd all gone to bed!!!

[superjules]

I'm no expert but those tail feathers look a bit suspect to me, just a touch curly.

[Egluntyne]

Get a bit of card and place it under the feathers at the lower edge of the hackles. You will be able to see better if they are pointy or rounded.

 

If you have got three arms and can wield a camera at the same time, take a photo and then we can all have another guess.

[CockADoodleDoo]

when they freerange does he/she lead the others?

 

as the jumping around my friends silkie cross cock does that he also goes mad and jumps one of the hens

 

Its quite funny to watch

[hpops]

In light of the feedback from both here and Practical Poultry I think all the evidence is pointing towards cockerel!!!! I am going to take a photo of the neck feathers in a final attempt to get someone to say it's a girl!!!!

 

Failing this does anybody have a home for a very tame sweet natured light sussex / RIR Cross??????

[Snowy]

Shame I did try to will it to be female for you

That last reply on P P is interesting - if it is a light sussex/RIR cross then it's the male equivalent of the gingernut ranger. Probably why the seller was so confident of it being male. Hope you find a home for it hpops

[feemcg]

That's what I said too Snowy, that he looked like my RIR/ Light Sussex boys - they're good table birds. I haven't spoken to the chap that took mine but must find out how they're doing.

[One Man Banned]

hmnn

 

Just had a look at the pics and those tail feathers look far too flamboyant for a hen. The legs also look ready to take a lot of weight - so probably going to grow into a boy.

 

Oh dear

 

A

xx