Last year we bought three sexed RIRs and three black sex links from a locally owned feed store who buys from Hoffman Hatchery. A few weeks into it, it was easy to figure out that one of our RIR girls was a roo. Our chickens are backyard pets, so even though we didn't want a roo, we kept him. Now, a year later, we're to the point of finding him a new home. Not because he's mean to people, but because he's over breeding our hens.
Three weeks ago, we bought three more chicks to add to our flock (we're adding a few each year to stagger the laying down the road). These chicks again came from the same feed store, who buys from Hoffman. They were sold as Araucanas, but I knew going into it that more than likely they were Ameraucanas or Easter Eggers.
Our chicks turned three weeks old on Thursday. When we discovered a roo in the mix of our three RIRs last year, he was easy to pick out because the RIR chicks were pretty identical (comparing apples to apples so to say in that batch) but with these chicks, they are each so different -- coloring, feathering rate, etc -- that it's more difficult to compare them.
First off, to get this out of the way, loud noises and such to startle them results in ALL of them standing up straight (whereas Ive read that roos are more likely to do this, and the girls hunker down to the ground). They've done this pretty much since day one. Occasionally if something scares them BIG time, they all flee and put their bellies on the ground and sit perfectly still for a while.
When we got them (at a day old), two had regular tails and one was much smaller and had no tail (rumpless style). Three weeks later, the no-tail chick, named Turkey, is still the smallest by a few ounces, and is much further behind on feathering that the other two (still mostly fuzz with most of the feathering only on the wings). This chick started as a mottled-colored chipmunk style, and wing feathers are coming in black with reddish tips. Legs are a little thicker and green/blue. Small comb has bumps and is turning a mild blush color. No wattles showing yet. Attitude-wise, this chick has been the more busy body of the three -- think "irritating little sibling" attitude here. This chick has started wanting to play more rough, jumping at the others, and seems to think its fun now to get on the roost and dive bomb the others, mostly chick #2 shown below. We rarely catch this chick trying to play rough with chick #3 at the bottom. Here is Turkey. Compare feathering rate and such to the other two at the bottom. BIG difference.
Chick #2, Denim, is gray with medium rate feathering (in comparison to the other two -- Chick #1 above with very little feathering, and chick #3 below with a crap ton of feathering, this chick is equally in the middle). This chick has medium size, yellowish legs, some blushing on a small comb showing up, and small wattles peaking out (not very noticeable unless you compare to the other two). This chick has always been the loner of the three, often sleeping alone on a different schedule that the other two, although will also snuggle and play with the others as well. Quiet personality. The chick #1 above likes to pick play-fights with this one the most, and this chick will argue back if chick #1 doesn't stop. In the picture below of chick #2, its harder to tell the feathering rate because of her gray color but this one is closer to 50/50 on feather verses fuzz. You can see a little blushing on the comb.
Last but not least, chick #3, Esmay, has been trying to grow to keep up with the feathers. I've never seen a chick feather out so fast, and her feathers are long too (she looks more like a small hawk than a chick right now... haha!) Finer legs, barely a comb present and it has no blushing. This chick is the friendliest of the bunch, the first to check anything out, and though her feathering makes her appear to be bigger than the other two, her weight has stayed identical to chick #2 (the gray above). Check out the tail and wings on this one compared to the other two!
Obviously I'm concerned that we have a roo, if not TWO, in the mix unfortunately but this breed is so different and varied from one chick to the next that I'd love some input from others who have experience with them. RIRs are pretty standard, but these chicks could very well have a little of everything thrown into the gene pool, so I almost feel unfair comparing them to each other. I'm HOPING that thats why they are so different, since they've retained these same differences since they were a day old.
My guesses:
Chick #1.... probably a roo. (ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!)
Chick #2.... I'm 50/50 on this one and holding out hope its not a roo
Chick #3.... haven't had any reason to suspect a roo here yet.
What are your thoughts?
Three weeks ago, we bought three more chicks to add to our flock (we're adding a few each year to stagger the laying down the road). These chicks again came from the same feed store, who buys from Hoffman. They were sold as Araucanas, but I knew going into it that more than likely they were Ameraucanas or Easter Eggers.
Our chicks turned three weeks old on Thursday. When we discovered a roo in the mix of our three RIRs last year, he was easy to pick out because the RIR chicks were pretty identical (comparing apples to apples so to say in that batch) but with these chicks, they are each so different -- coloring, feathering rate, etc -- that it's more difficult to compare them.
First off, to get this out of the way, loud noises and such to startle them results in ALL of them standing up straight (whereas Ive read that roos are more likely to do this, and the girls hunker down to the ground). They've done this pretty much since day one. Occasionally if something scares them BIG time, they all flee and put their bellies on the ground and sit perfectly still for a while.
When we got them (at a day old), two had regular tails and one was much smaller and had no tail (rumpless style). Three weeks later, the no-tail chick, named Turkey, is still the smallest by a few ounces, and is much further behind on feathering that the other two (still mostly fuzz with most of the feathering only on the wings). This chick started as a mottled-colored chipmunk style, and wing feathers are coming in black with reddish tips. Legs are a little thicker and green/blue. Small comb has bumps and is turning a mild blush color. No wattles showing yet. Attitude-wise, this chick has been the more busy body of the three -- think "irritating little sibling" attitude here. This chick has started wanting to play more rough, jumping at the others, and seems to think its fun now to get on the roost and dive bomb the others, mostly chick #2 shown below. We rarely catch this chick trying to play rough with chick #3 at the bottom. Here is Turkey. Compare feathering rate and such to the other two at the bottom. BIG difference.
Chick #2, Denim, is gray with medium rate feathering (in comparison to the other two -- Chick #1 above with very little feathering, and chick #3 below with a crap ton of feathering, this chick is equally in the middle). This chick has medium size, yellowish legs, some blushing on a small comb showing up, and small wattles peaking out (not very noticeable unless you compare to the other two). This chick has always been the loner of the three, often sleeping alone on a different schedule that the other two, although will also snuggle and play with the others as well. Quiet personality. The chick #1 above likes to pick play-fights with this one the most, and this chick will argue back if chick #1 doesn't stop. In the picture below of chick #2, its harder to tell the feathering rate because of her gray color but this one is closer to 50/50 on feather verses fuzz. You can see a little blushing on the comb.
Last but not least, chick #3, Esmay, has been trying to grow to keep up with the feathers. I've never seen a chick feather out so fast, and her feathers are long too (she looks more like a small hawk than a chick right now... haha!) Finer legs, barely a comb present and it has no blushing. This chick is the friendliest of the bunch, the first to check anything out, and though her feathering makes her appear to be bigger than the other two, her weight has stayed identical to chick #2 (the gray above). Check out the tail and wings on this one compared to the other two!
Obviously I'm concerned that we have a roo, if not TWO, in the mix unfortunately but this breed is so different and varied from one chick to the next that I'd love some input from others who have experience with them. RIRs are pretty standard, but these chicks could very well have a little of everything thrown into the gene pool, so I almost feel unfair comparing them to each other. I'm HOPING that thats why they are so different, since they've retained these same differences since they were a day old.
My guesses:
Chick #1.... probably a roo. (ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!)
Chick #2.... I'm 50/50 on this one and holding out hope its not a roo
Chick #3.... haven't had any reason to suspect a roo here yet.
What are your thoughts?
