4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[chelsea]

Reason I ask is because my 2 recent arrivals are looking more like cockerels day by day... OH is convinced they are female and I am not!

 

They were both runts rescued from a broiler farm and one is blind in one eye so I really hope they are an "odd looking" pair of females

 

Anyway, the bigger one of the two bok bok bokked today...........would a cockerel do that?

Edited March 19, 2009 by Guest

[Paola]

Do you have any pics of the newbies?

[moomin]

Yeah Chelsea! Pics would be great then we can give you our expert opinions!

 

(BTW, what's this about your hubby being convinced you're not female!! )

 

They sound right little characters your 2 new girls. I love things that aren't perfect - like little chooks that are blind in one eye - bless her!!

[chelsea]

will try and get some pics on tomorrow so you can all decide, I am quite sure everyone will agree with me though that they are male.

 

Back from the vets tonight with little Willow, her eye (the one we think she's blind in) is swollen - vet thinks infection or tumour (cost £19!! for consultation and tiny tube of cream )

 

She/he is a plucky little thing though and even attempted to peck my top chook Evil Ella from behind the eglu run bars.

[chelsea]

Been looking at my 2 newies for the last half an hour.

 

No sign of crowing yet ( they are girls), still pale combs and no development of curling feathers on tails. Hubby tried getting a piece of card and looking at if the neck feathers are round or pointy and he says they are round.

 

Should they be crowing yet? Would they appear "cockerelly"@ 15 weeks if they were chaps?

[Karen & co.]

What breed of hens are they Chelsea? I have 2 white leghorns with very impressive head gear, and was convinced they were boys until they laid they still don't crouch either

 

Karen x

[chelsea]

I havent a clue Karen , they are hybrids of some sort. One looks a bit like a buff sussex and the other just plain buff coloured. They were runts from a corn fed broiler shed, OH felt sorry for them and brought them home.

 

One has a very upright stance, walks like its feet are too big for its body

[Karen & co.]

I havent a clue Karen , they are hybrids of some sort. One looks a bit like a buff sussex and the other just plain buff coloured. They were runts from a corn fed broiler shed, OH felt sorry for them and brought them home.

 

One has a very upright stance, walks like its feet are too big for its body

 

Bless she's conjuring up a wonderful image

 

Karen x

[Egluntyne]

They start crowing at around 5 months ish.

[chelsea]

thanks Eglutine....that means there's still time..

 

Dont like this "ticking timebomb" waiting game.

[Guest]

your OH is a sweetie

[chelsea]

your OH is a sweetie

 

I didnt think it was sweet at the time!

 

They were the last 2 in the shed, all alone. Farmer would have culled them on the spot (as they were too little for eating weight), but OH brought them home to me

 

So hope they are female, they are really cute and teeny Willow is blind in one eye so "Ooops, word censored!"ody would want her anyway.

[Guest]

your OH is a sweetie

 

I didnt think it was sweet at the time!

 

They were the last 2 in the shed, all alone. Farmer would have culled them on the spot (as they were too little for eating weight), but OH brought them home to me

 

So hope they are female, they are really cute and teeny Willow is blind in one eye so "Ooops, word censored!"ody would want her anyway.

 

I hope they're not noisy boys, even if they are and you have to do the deed, they'll have had a bit of freedom.

[chelsea]

Here's some pics:

 

Willow - (this is the one im not too sure about timid, blind in one eye)

 

 

Acorn - (the one Im almost 100% sure is male, struts and stands tall)

 

 

Acorn again,

 

together -

 

 

another -

[chelsea]

would also love if anyone has any idea what breed Willow is....she/he is very pretty. We think she/he might have a bit of legbar in it.

[tom123]

Lovely chooks whatever they are!

 

I think that Willow is probably a girl and Acorn probably a boy but I am defiantly not an expert!

 

Tom

[moomin]

I would say they are both boys

 

Just the look about them, high chests, big legs, feet & beaks - for 16 weeks - they just look like blokes

 

I really hope I am wrong Chelsea they are lovely chooksters

 

[ubereglu]

Have you looked at their legs? Males have chunkier legs than females and will have the starts of spurs by now.

[chelsea]

their legs arent chunky Acorns are quite long and Willow is normal chook length. Are the spurs at the back? there is nothing on the back of the legs.

[tom123]

I would say that they should have little stumps where spurs would be if they were boys

 

 

Here is the only pic I could find of some spurs...Have a look just above the feet, thats were there should be little stumps if they were defiantly boys...

 

 

Hope that helps

Tom

[chelsea]

thanks for the pic Tom.

 

There's nothing like that on there at the moment. But look at the tail....I think the tails are both going that way

[ubereglu]

Tails aren't always an obvious indicator though. We kept thinking Spice would turn out to be a boy because of her tail when she was a similar age...but no, she's a girl!

[chelsea]

Tails aren't always an obvious indicator though. We kept thinking Spice would turn out to be a boy because of her tail when she was a similar age...but no, she's a girl!

 

 

Did she have a similar tail to my 2 Liz?

 

OH says they mix up a lot of breeds in these broiler houses, so that's why he thinks they are female.

[chelsea]

Update, one week on we are getting little noises.....

 

grunting and honking noises....not loud... it seems just out of excitement when I go out with a hand of corn in the afternoon.

[Redwing]

I'm afraid I don't know enough to say if they are boys or girls

 

Willow is lovely, my neighbour had a hen when I was a child with the same colouring and she was a Buff Sussex (the hen - not the neighbour!)

 

Fingers crossed they aren't boys, they are lovely