A Stroke of luck!

[Yankeechick]

I have four 9 week old chicks I hand raised since five days old. It was looking to me like I had 2 that were hens (I would have placed wages on it) and 2 that were looking roosterish. Well, wouldn't you know one of the "hens" started crowing last week (good thing I'm not a betting person.)

I know a vet in the area who has a flock of 30 chickens and she let me bring over my Americauna rooster and the two that looked roosterish for her to take a look at.

She took the rooster and gave me a beautiful white hen the same age as my others and this hen is as tame as a dove! I am thrilled!

When she looked at my two roosterish ones, it was inconclusive, so I took them home to wait it out. I really adore them, so I'm glad to hear they are possibly hens.

Here's the rub - the one that crowed have a very small, not very red comb AND rounded neck feathers. The tail was starting to get longer than the others though.

My two roosterish ones - one has a pretty big comb and waddles, the other one is big and has a rose comb. Looking at the feathers, she just couldn't tell.

She showed my one of her laying hens that had a "HUGE" comb and waddles. ****SO Confusing!****

I just want to encourage those out there that are worried about their possible roosters, to just wait it out - unless they are crowing, it's really tough to tell - even for a chicken raising vet!!!

 

[speckledhen]

You know, there are a couple of breeds whose cockerels are "hen-feathered", meaning they never get pointy hackle or saddle feathers, such as Campines. Also, in some breeds the combs never do get that large, either, so sometimes it's hard to tell in those cases.