Is this bad luck or lucky experience???

[Enzo93]

Let me start by saying the only reason I am asking is because legally I can’t have roosters. I have 7 Buff Orpingtons (I have other breeds too) 8 weeks old.

They all seem to be growing at the same rate, but they also appear to look a little roostery (yes I made that up) to me. I’m a newb and I can’t tell.

I also want to start emotionally distancing myself if they are because the farm I got them from has a pullet guarantee, even though I love them already! I’ve had them since they were 3 days old!

All that to say….bad luck or lucky experience?

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

How old?

 

[NatJ]

I’ve had them since they were 3 days old!

When did you get them? I'm wondering how old they are now.

 

[Enzo93]

How old?

8 weeks. I updated the original post.

 

[Enzo93]

When did you get them? I'm wondering how old they are now.

8 weeks old

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

8 weeks. I updated the original post.

From what I can see, they are cockerels

 

[NatJ]

8 weeks. I updated the original post.

At 8 weeks, with combs and wattles that big and that bright, you have a bunch of males.

the farm I got them from has a pullet guarantee

It's probably time to talk to the farm about that guarantee.

 

[Enzo93]

At 8 weeks, with combs and wattles that big and that bright, you have a bunch of males.


It's probably time to talk to the farm about that guarantee.

The owner of the farm says that I have to wait until they start roosting. How long would that take? I didn’t plan on having roosters and he internet has conflicting opinions.

 

[NatJ]

The owner of the farm says that I have to wait until they start roosting. How long would that take?

Roosting is when they sleep on a raised "roost" at night. I don't see what that has to do with checking the sex of the chicks. Now if he had said "crowing" that might make sense.

In general, there is no reason to rush chickens into roosting at night. They will figure it out at their own speed. But if that's how the farm wants to decide they are old enough to act on the guarantee...

Roosting at night can start pretty young (some hens teach their chicks to roost when they are only a week or two old if the weather is warm, some chicks figure it out for themself before they are much older than that) or it can be pretty late (some chickens don't figure it out for 3 or 4 months or longer.)

Where do yours sleep at night? Do they have roosts available? If so, do they sleep on them? If they are already roosting at night, you could take a picture and send it to the farm.

If the chickens have roosts available but still prefer to sleep in a huddle on the floor, you could try lifting them onto the roosts after dark. Sometimes a few nights of that will convince them that sleeping on the roost is a good idea, if you want to speed things up for the sake of convincing the farm owner.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Why do they need to roost for the breeder to take them back? And how will you prove it? Answer: it doesn’t matter because you can say they are roosting, drop them off and get your pullets and go home. If he calls you at nine pm to say they’re not on the roost what are you going to do? Go back and pick them up? Of course not. If that guarantee is in writing and doesn’t mention this roosting nonsense then hold the breeder to it.