chelsea Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 (edited) 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Do you have any pics of the newbies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 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!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 22, 2008 Author Share Posted December 22, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 They start crowing at around 5 months ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 thanks Eglutine....that means there's still time.. Dont like this "ticking timebomb" waiting game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 your OH is a sweetie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 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 - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Have you looked at their legs? Males have chunkier legs than females and will have the starts of spurs by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 11, 2009 Author Share Posted January 11, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
