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

[thechickenkeeper]

Hi there , the more I look at Maria, our Minorca ‘hen’, the more I think she looks like a rooster, I’ve not had this breed before and so it’s hard to tell, others have commented on her sexuality before from a photo I posted.

 

She has got rather long in the leg and doesn’t seem to have much weight about her, and they are a heavy bird, yet she is still young, (4months old) so it could just be that she hasn’t put the weight on yet, she/he does tend to frame up alot to the other chicks, but then runs a mile if the bigger girls come any where near, not to mention the very entertaining butterfly incident, scared of a butterfly, not roosters surely.

 

Is there anyone can tell me a way to define it for sure?

[chelsea]

I read on another forum that if you hold a piece of card or paper under the front area/chest area of feathers and the feathers are pointy on the bird then it is a cockerel, and if rounded - female, whether this is correct I dont know.

 

We are in the same predicament, we have 2 newbies and I am 100% convinced they are both male (16 weeks at moment) no cock-a-doodle-doing yet, 1 of the birds is very tall and long legged like yours, it "struts" rather than walks and holds its chest up high. Also has curling tail feathers.

 

Hubby is in denial and is convinced female.....what does he know!

 

Im always right

 

I suppose we might have to wait for the crowing before we really know...

[thechickenkeeper]

I read on another forum that if you hold a piece of card or paper under the front area/chest area of feathers and the feathers are pointy on the bird then it is a cockerel, and if rounded - female, whether this is correct I dont know.

 

:

 

Well thanks for that I just had a look, and they're definately rounded, fingers crossed.

[The Dogmother]

Sounds like your strutter is a boy Chelsea... sorry

 

Any photos thechickenkeeper?

[chelsea]

Sounds like your strutter is a boy Chelsea... sorry

 

I know he does doesnt he? OH is just waiting for him to lay eggs.....we all know it aint gonna happen!

[Egluntyne]

Can you post some pictures of him/her? Collectively we are quite good at diagnosing cockerels.

[LittleBoPeep]

Hi there, we've have 9 chickens, 3 of which we hatched from eggs. They are now about six months old and it has become apparent in the last month or so that we have a cockerel. His comb is massive compared to the girls and he tends to be a lot more puffed out and strutting than the girls. He also makes a lot of noise and likes to stand on his own surveying his kingdom.

 

[The Dogmother]

Better get ready for some noise then LBP! Do you have plans for him, or wil it be the pot?

[LittleBoPeep]

Well at the moment we are planning on keeping him, no objections from neighbours as yet but not sure what will happen come the lighter mornings. If he does have to leave us it will be to a good home but hopefully it won't come to that.

[chelsea]

does he crow all day?

 

What time does he start in the morning?

[LittleBoPeep]

He is crowing to his hearts content as I type. He's got his fav girlfriend who struts around with him. Tends to stop crowing early evening, its actually quite a nice sound. We live by the sea and the gulls tend to make more noise than he does. It comes and goes.

 

What worries me is that it will be light at 4ish am soon and I'm not sure how it will effect things. We have older neighbours on both sides and neither has said anything - yet!

[BeckyBoo]

I hate to say it but our boy started at 5am even in the winter, goodness only knows what time he would start in the summer! I loved the sound and it was certainly no worse than some of the neighbours dogs, or my kids in the summer, but I knew then neighbours weren't keen and to be fair living in urban Surrey you wouldn't expect to hear cock-a-doodle-dooooooo all day long so he went in the pot. Lucky you if you can keep him, roosters are SO stunning and although mine wasn't at all friendly I was sad to see him go (although he tasted lovely!)

 

Mrs B

[LittleBoPeep]

You are so right about them being stunning, he is a fabulous looking bird, lovely long feather around his neck and fanned tail. I have been thinking about actually asking our neighbours if they can hear him and whether it bothers them. Not sure if that's a good idea or not but think it only fair to check. Any ideas?

[chelsea]

supposedly keeping the cockerel as dark as possible in the summer helps. I have heard that someone kept their cockerel in the cupboard under the stairs (whether this was true or feasible I dont know).

 

Covering the coop, or bringing the cockerel inside a shed/garage overnight and then taking outside in the morning might work.