What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[jennydavies]

Could someone with a bit of chicken knowledge tell from these photo's if "Blanche" is a bloke ???

 

 

We have had her for five weeks now, although her comb and wattles are growing and she's twice the size of Nugget and Bluebelle, she has showed no signs of wanting to lay and she is now doing funny things like sleeping on the perch in the WIR, trying to answer in a very croaky voice the local coqs in the morning and doing funny little dances in front of the other two girlies If "she" is a boy we will have to eat her

[jellykelly]

I have no real experience with telling boys from girls, but I think she looks like a girl. She has nice slender legs - not the chunky boy ones.

Pretty though whatever sex he/she is.

[Egluntyne]

I wouldn't rule it out just yet. Impressive face furniture, pointy hackle feathers and the beginnings of tiny spurs ( although hens sometimes have spurs too) sugest male

 

On the other hand, the tail feathers aren't very male (yet) and the saddle feathers don't seem to be swooping over.

 

Time will tell.

[Tutti Frutti]

To my inexperienced eye, she's a girl I had the same concerns about my Light Sussex hybid - but she finally came into lay 11 weeks after my black Rock! But Blanche's face is pretty red! And can't remember Sophia's necklace being that well defined but her tail was just as prominent

 

I googled a cockerel and found this... so I'd say GIRL!

 

 

Found this pic of Sophia 11 days after she laid her first egg - prominent tail

 

[Jools]

She looks all girl to me.

[Plum]

Sussex are big chickens

[Goosey Lucy]

I'm no expert but here's my two pen'neth...

 

Blanche is a girl.

 

I had very similar worries about my 3 light sussex birds. Their combs and wattles seemed very red but took ages to come into lay (10 months from April hatching). They are now lovely big birds, when they run towards me i feel as if the ground should be shaking.

 

However if she does turn out to be male they are bred as dual purpose birds.

 

I guess you're going to have to wait for evidence that proves it one way or the other.

[jennydavies]

Thank you so much for your replies, we really hope Blanche is a girl and not just for the eggs that she may eventually lay. She went through a very traumatic time with our top chook Ginger, she was bullied unmercifully and after all that she is still beautiful and very friendly. We thought if she is a bloke we could always re-name her Raymond, after Raymond Blanc

[Jules.]

I think she's a boy

 

Here's a photo of my light sussex boys taken last year when they were about 15 weeks old

 

 

The two hens are on the right of the photo.

[Tutti Frutti]

Jenny, what size comb did she have when you got her? If she's the same age as your others and it was diddy like theirs , then I'd say girl. But if she was a little 10 week old chick (so she'd be 15 weeks now), then boy... I'm hoping she was the same size as your other three with a diddy comb!!!

[jennydavies]

She had a smaller comb and wattles than Nugget. Over the last couple of weeks they have grown in size, got more redder and her face has gone very red as if she is blushing all the time. She has also got little tiny nodule spurs. She does look like Jules Sussex boys more than the girls in the photo. Ah well she could be a "Raymond" , we are going to listen out for her tomorrow morning. Do hens answer Coqs in the morning ? during the day she is acting quite normal.

[Chucky Mama]

Jules' photos make me worry that she may be a he

[Redwing]

I'd say that its a girl but what has made me think twice before posting are the hackle feathers, they are the only thing that shouts 'boy' to me but the rest of her looks girlie

[Jools]

How old is Blanche supposed to be? The reddening of comb and wattles are signs of coming into lay - if she's old enough.

 

Yes, hens can often attempt to crow if there is no male around to do the job for them. They can also have nodules where the spurs grow on a mail.

 

I raised over 20 Light Sussex boys a couple of years ago, which is why I said girl with such certainty. My neighbour breeds them and I asked for some spare males to raise for the table. He let me have them at around 10-12 weeks and I have to say that even at that age, I could tell they were male.

 

The only niggle of doubt I have with Blanche is that you said (s)he does a dance around the others, which I hadn't read last time. Now that really is the sign of male behaviour.

 

I suppose (s)he could be androgenous!!

[jennydavies]

We bought her five weeks ago as POL, I would imagine going by the others ages, she is 25 - 26 weeks. If she is a Raymond and not a Blanche, he will be raised for the table. I am going to talk to our French neighbour that took Ginger off our hands and ask if he will "do the deed" at the right time. He has a huge flock for dual purpose and gets them "table ready" himself. I really think that I should be brave enough to watch it done, I feel quite strongly that as a rural chicken owner I should know how it's done.

[Jools]

In which case, I'll stick by my original "all girl" post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think!!

[Mollie333]

Just sent this to a experianced friend, she said that she is a girl, boys feathers are much different..

your lucky there, haha!

[jennydavies]

Another thing I thought of - do the boys do "Curry Poo's" ? I was under the impression that CP's are to do with the egg-laying equipment ??? Blanche does CP's each day. Am I being naive thinking maybe boys don't do them ???

[Egluntyne]

Curry poos come from the ceacum (Chickens have two) so it is bowel related. The ceacum deals with the digestion of vegetable matter.

[Jules.]

I'm thinking now that Blanche is girl.

 

I'll get my camera out this afternoon & take photos of my full-grown light sussex girls. Blanche's tail feathers aren't showing the curling like my boys feathers did.

[jennydavies]

I can't thank everybody enough for all the replies and help you have given to me on this matter. I don't want to eat Blanche/Raymond unless we really have to

[Mollie333]

I would have her, if hes a him, off you, but your in france.

Very beautiful, but i think shes a girl.

[jennydavies]

We are more and more convinced that "Blanche" is a "Raymond", he has been trying to mount Bluebelle (who is not yet laying) and every morning "dances" for her. He tried it on with Nugget and she gave him a very cold shoulder . Charlie is going to talk to our French neighbour this morning while I am shopping and see if we can rehome him. If not he is destined for the table he is beautiful, but I never intend breeding or having a Coq.

[Jools]

A top hen can do all those things if there's no man around to rule the roost - it isn't common but it does happen. Blanche may be all female / all male / a bit of both, only time will tell. I guess if she/he/it lays an egg, then we'll know for sure, but til then .......

[The Dogmother]

Looks like a girl to me