One of the reasons we went chicken shopping yesterday was the firm conviction I had come to that our three ‘chicks’ hatched back in the spring, must be cockerels. This was largely based on sod’s law. I mean what are the chances they would all be girls? and as they all looked the same.That and we had witnessed a bit of fighting.. nothing major, just a tad of face to facing etc.
Only when we were at the poultry place, choosing some POL did it occur to us that their birds looked very similar to ours… and nothing like the cockerels they had of the same age. Still we were on a roll by then.
But today I was thinking about it.. and now ours are 21 weeks old, it seems by now.. would they have shown any cockerel behaviour? We are new to this so, I put it to a forum, with pictures. They have very small combs – no crowing, no attempts at ravishing the older hens, no spurs, no eggs… The general opinion is we have pullets. I really hope we have been that lucky (although we were looking forward to coq au vin…)
So here they are,, see what you think.
We might have rushed out to buy new POL too hastily.. then again.. will it be such a problem.. I don’t think so: one of our newly purchased girls gave us an egg today, I love it when things work out.
Lovely birds – they certainly look as if they could be pullets, what with the small combs and all.
we just found out the gender of our chicken in question. He belted out a cock-a-doodle-do. He held himself like the third chicken you have posted, kind of a “L” shape breast. I am a novice though. ………
Gorgeous girls! We’re thinking of getting some more ourselves.
I particularly like the one at the top.
thanks all –
Joy – I hope you are right! (time will tell)
7citychickens – oo interesting – have to see – I gather from your site that yours was a lot younger when he gave himself away!
Sue – thanks yes I particularly like the brown one – touch of welsummer in there maybe? definitely mixed blood. go on get some more!
[...] brood, and this is the second failed attempt, although her first brood of the year produced our three lovely pullets (we hope they are girls anyway). Maybe down to the cockerel, and maybe down to getting eggs by [...]