Brooding hen has chicks in nesting box

[Pimbbj]

Hi, I am new to chicken keeping and have had my four hens for 7 weeks now (An Aracauna, a Pekin and 2 Silkies). The Aracauna has always been towering above the others but now I am starting to suspect that she is a he as she herds all of the others in an agressive manner when they are outside and she fluffs up her hackles frequently. She is probably 14 weeks old and I think that her markings are starting to look cockerel like. Can you please confirm my worst fears and let me know whether she is a cockerel or not. Need to find her/him a new home asap before her crows wake up the neighbours. Thanks for any help

 

[sjp]

Hi, I am new to chicken keeping and have had my four hens for 7 weeks now (An Aracauna, a Pekin and 2 Silkies). The Aracauna has always been towering above the others but now I am starting to suspect that she is a he as she herds all of the others in an agressive manner when they are outside and she fluffs up her hackles frequently. She is probably 14 weeks old and I think that her markings are starting to look cockerel like. Can you please confirm my worst fears and let me know whether she is a cockerel or not. Need to find her/him a new home asap before her crows wake up the neighbours. Thanks for any help

 

 

I'm no expert but if it was mine I think a boy

[zakjon-98]

I would think the same but I am not totally sure

[Egluntyne]

I think you might be right. Sorry.

[coco]

I'd say a boy ,sorry. My two aracuana girls don't have wattles, just spiky haIrdos.

Edited October 25, 2012 by Guest

[Pimbbj]

Thanks guys. Any idea on how to get rid of him without him ending in a pot?

[zakjon-98]

One option is to advertise him in the omlet chickens for sale section

http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/map/chickens/

[Pimbbj]

Thanks for the help. Wish me luck

[coco]

Would the person you got your hens from not take him back, otherwise try advertising him on Preloved.

[Pimbbj]

Yep he probably would but would most likely cull him. Would like a chance of getting him a home

[Chortle Chook]

Are you absolutely certain you can't keep a cockerel? I live in a fairly built up area and not only do I have 2 cockerels but there is another along the way and people say they really like them as it reminds them that it was once country round here You could try asking around before you send him on his wee travels - or wait for him to crow and see who minds. If people object then the result will probably be the same as if you try and re-home him now as cockerels are pretty un-rehomable unless they have a good provenance.

[Redwing]

7 weeks was too young to sell a Silkie or an Araucana as definitely sexed in my opinion unless they were specialist breeders

 

I would double check your Silkie then contact the breeder

 

If you were sold the Araucana as a female you should be entitled to a refund, some breeders will sell young birds without being sure knowing that the new owners will get attached or feel guilty about returning the bird in case it gets culled, I am not saying thats what happened in this case but you should at least make them aware as they need to know they sold a male as they may be happy they are sexing these correctly

 

If you bought it unsexed then of course you will need to deal with the situation yourself. Practical Poultry forum has a section for FTGH birds, also there are numerous Facebook groups where these can be advertised. If the bird is a bantam then you have a good chance of rehoming him but large fowl are ten a penny I am afraid, stress the fact he will throw green egg laying offspring as that will help

[Pimbbj]

I would love to keep him but no idea how loud a cockerel crows and how frequent. We are at work most of the week but not sure about neighbours at home

[Forestchook]

I would love to keep him but no idea how loud a cockerel crows and how frequent.

 

I'd say it depends on the cockerel and how he feels on any particular day. From other peoples comments on here I think I've been very lucky with my boy. I think he must get a sore throat or something because he generally gives up after about ten or fifteen minutes of crowing. As some point he usually tries again later though. I undestand some cockerels are far more persistant. I also like to think that as a bantum mine has less lung capacity to generate volume. Even so I still have to put him in the shed each night to stop him waking up the neighbours at silly o'clock (we don't hear him ).

 

With regards to rehoming and avoiding the pot: You need patience, persistance and luck! It took me about 9 months to rehome the three additional boys I ended up with. I wish I could have kept them (two of them were so friendly; the third was not quite so nice ) but putting four chooks in the shed each night was ridiculous, besides I did not have enough space to keep them long term. TBH I would have accepted them going for the pot as long as they had a good life until their time came (I'd far rather they died for a purpose, so to speak, than were just disposed of) but another family member insisted they had to go some where they could live.

 

Good luck

N

[Pimbbj]

Thanks. Just read a very disturbing article on a chicken rescue site about cockerels being picked up for fighting or baiting. Just changed my free to good home ad to a fee. Might speak to vet about euthanasia options as couldn't bare that. Pot was a bad enought thought for him.

[Redwing]

I don't tend to rehome cockerels unless I know if someone specifically wanting one

I would rather take my cockerels from their roosts in the evening when they are calm and sleepy and deal with them myself humanely

 

It's sad but at least I know they won't end up hurt or scared somewhere

 

Rehoming is worth a try though, you can easily gauge the suitability of the people who respond

[Pimbbj]

Yes thanks. I will give him a couple of weeks to rehome as he is not crowing yet but put the vet on standby to put him down. Can't bare to do it myself. Thanks everyone. At least I have learned for next time to buy older hens