Can you help with breed and gender?

[jreeve]

hi! My name’s Jackie, this is my first post. I’m in WA, and we just got our first chicks this year. I bought 2 olive eggers and 2 black copper marans from a local farm (plus 2 ameraucanas from our farm store). The farmer put 4 black, nearly identical chicks in the box and I don’t know which is which! Now that they’re 10 weeks old, I’m hearing some crowing.

I’ve got 2 that I think might be cockerels, but they’re also my 2 favorites so I want to be sure. I’ve heard sometimes pullets will crow, and can also have big combs? I’ve attached pics. The gray speckled one is Cannoli, and the black beauty with the blue and orange is Fudge (super fast, hard to get good pics of). Would love help id’ing the breed and gender. And, if they are cockerels, how can I keep them without impregnating my 4 pullets? Can they be in the same run but spend the night in separate coops? I just really love these 2!

 

[Perris]

I think they are cockerels. And I think the speckled one is a cuckoo maran, so the other one would be the olive egger. But I'm still learning this, so we should all wait till more experienced folk chime in

 

[ravensnow]

And, if they are cockerels, how can I keep them without impregnating my 4 pullets? Can they be in the same run but spend the night in separate coops?

Can you explain what you mean by this? Are you concerned about your flock laying fertilized eggs, or do you not want the cockerels physically mounting the pullets/hens?

All chicken sexual activities take place during daylight hours. Separating them at night wouldn't affect this. They'd have to be separate during the day, and the cockerels would be extremely stressed out if they could see the females but not physically get to them. There are people on here who establish bachelor flocks, so I'd search that term if you really want to keep the boys, but also keep them separate.

Edit: I've got no guesses on either the breed or gender of these two.

 

[CJLR]

Two roosters

 

[jreeve]

Can you explain what you mean by this? Are you concerned about your flock laying fertilized eggs, or do you not want the cockerels physically mounting the pullets/hens?

All chicken sexual activities take place during daylight hours. Separating them at night wouldn't affect this. They'd have to be separate during the day, and the cockerels would be extremely stressed out if they could see the females but not physically get to them. There are people on here who establish bachelor flocks, so I'd search that term if you really want to keep the boys, but also keep them separate.

Edit: I've got no guesses on either the breed or gender of these two.

Yes, I guess I mean if possible we’d like to keep them but do not want fertilized eggs. We don’t have room for more babies.

 

[jreeve]

I think they are cockerels. And I think the speckled one is a cuckoo maran, so the other one would be the olive egger. But I'm still learning this, so we should all wait till more experienced folk chime in

This was my feeling too! And yes, I do think I’ve got a couple of boys in this group.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I'm seeing cockerels in cuckoo maran and black copper marans.

Yes, I guess I mean if possible we’d like to keep them but do not want fertilized eggs. We don’t have room for more babies.

You can keep them. Roosters and hens can still be kept together as long as you have the proper ratio of hens to roosters. You will have fertilized eggs, but that doesnt mean you will have more babies untill you incubate them or have a broody hen to incubate them. Collect the eggs everyday and you will be fine.

 

[jreeve]

I'm seeing cockerels in cuckoo maran and black copper marans.


You can keep them. Roosters and hens can still be kept together as long as you have the proper ratio of hens to roosters. You will have fertilized eggs, but that doesnt mean you will have more babies untill you incubate them or have a broody hen to incubate them. Collect the eggs everyday and you will be fine.

Oh, really? That’s great! We were worried about the times we go on vacation and won’t be there to get the eggs every day, and we don’t really have someone who could collect them for us yet!

Do you know what a good ratio would be? We’d have 4 hens and 2 roosters with our current flock.

 

[Perris]

you need more hens or fewer roosters...sorry
...at least 6 hens for 2 roos. So if you don't have space for that many, you need to remove 1 roo, and that will be easier if you do it before they mature and start trying to mate the pullets.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Agree with above. 1 roo for every 5-6 seems to be a good ratio. But i really cant fault you right now. I have 4 over 9 hens right now in one pasture. Trying to get rid of 2 asap. Was hoping for more hens last year and this year. But all i keep getting is cockerels. (Sigh) Hopefully I'll be having a friend to come and help me with 1 or 2.

In my other pasture i have 1 over 4 (was 6 before coyotes got them) and everyone is very happy!