Houston, we have a problem.
According to Elizabeth and Destini’s comments on last weeks Backyard Chickens post, Pablo is a boy. This is VERY bad news, as there is absolutely no way on earth Pablo can stay in our backyard. None. Not only would my neighbors freak out, so would the Handsome Husband.
In fact, I wasn’t even going to tell the Handsome Husband about Pablo being a boy, but apparently he has taken to reading my blog lately {so I can’t get anyway with anything}. What a sneak!
This is what Elizabeth had to say “I think Pablo is probably a Roo, so soon it will be easy to tell them apart. Early reddening of his comb is one of the signs. The girls don’t redden up until they are getting close to laying eggs.”
This is what Destini had to say “Ok please dont be mad at me but , Pablo, I think is a baby rooster not a hen. I only say that because when I got my chickens this year I was super paranoid about a rooster ( had a very mean one as a kid). I have a silver laced wyandotte. I researched and researched gender clues and having white patches on the wing was one. BUT the big one was early reddening of the comb and wattles. But they say wyandottes are tricky so I hope I am wrong.”
And I found this on my pet chicken to see what they had to say an “Comb size and redness can be one indicator, but is not usually reliable. In fact, it’s one of the worst indicators you can use, as comb size varies by breed and even individual. For instance, one of my hens has a larger comb than any of her sisters of the same breed, and a larger comb than any of my roosters, too.”
Well, I’m not taking any chances. As soon as I can find a good home for Pablo, he’s out of here. Sorry Pablo, but no boys allowed in this backyard.
What do you think? Is Pablo a rooster or a hen?
Please add your 2 cents in the comment section below.
Thanks,
Mavis
Rubber ChickenPurse ~ Amazon
All the cool peeps are carrying them these days.
LB says
Many breeds don’t get spurs until after a year. I couldn’t tell mine apart until about 4 months old. The Roos tail feathers stood up at about a 90* angel. The hens tails pointed back or down. HTH
Lisa says
You cannot definitively tell if he is a roo until he crows or until his tail fully develops. A roo will have pointy neck feathers and arching feathers on his tail. but the crow is the sure fire giveaway.
One reader mentioned they got Golden Buffs from the same place you bought Pablo and they were both hens. That’s because Golden Buffs are also known as Golden Sex-links and you can always tell the hens from the roos at hatching.
If I’m right about the place you got Pablo, they don’t guarantee their birds to be hens (nor are they vaccinated with the Marek’s vaccine). Now if Hilda or Matilda end up being roos you bring them back to GardenSphere and we will give you a store credit for what it would cost you to replace them with a hen (you actually make money on that deal).
Birds develop at different rates. An early developing comb or wattles are not a guarantee that he is a he. She could just be taking after potential East German Gymnast ancestors and “developing early.”
Heather says
I think Pablo is a roo. WIth waddles and comb not only that developed but that red at such an early age, she’s a he. I know how you feel. I’ve had the worst year for ending up with roosters. I had to give away a beautiful welsummer and 3 adorable silkies.
Tanya Peila says
Once they get a little older post some pictures to Backyard Chicken forums. I SWORE my white leghorn was a Roo. She has an ENORMOUS red comb. But she is a hen. I do notice their combs don’t red up until they start laying eggs.
Dogs or Dollars says
As someone who ended up with 3, yes three, roosters this year Id agree that’s he’s probably a roo. That said I gave all mine until the first crow. Then we ate em. Wattles and comb development were early indicators for all our boys.
Tali says
I think I would be way more worried that you HH is reading the blog than having a rooster among the hens……..got to go…..got groceries to sneak in the house…lol
Mavis says
Ah ha ha ha! That is awesome.
Jenny says
How much do you like Pablo? I’d find a backup home and than wait it out and see. My co worker friend says, ” When they crow, they gotta go.” But until than, you just don’t know.
🙂
Good luck Mavis!!
Mavis says
The Girl is sad, but I think Pablo is feisty. I figure I have 8 weeks to find Pablo a home, so I just want to make sure {early on} that I have a home lined up for the little chick.
LaToya says
I’m not following….what’s wrong with having a rooster….? Is it the whole cock-a-doodle-doo in the morning thing…or….?
Mavis says
Are you kidding me? #1 They make noise. #2 They are mean. #3 They will jump my hens. No thanks! 😉
LaToya says
Jump your hens. Like beat up on them. Or….like hump them? LOL Sorry, I have no idea the ways of farm animals. I’m a city girl 😉
Mavis says
The second. Eeeek!
Dorinda says
I have two roosters and seven hens and am in my 60th year with chickens. I love roosters – my boys tidbit me when I bring them all treats. They are so gentlemanly and amazingly beautiful. I treat them with respect, honor their right to protect the flock (no aggressive moves on my part, or acting like a predator would). I have not had a ‘mean’ (human-aggressive) rooster in more than 40 years. I want my boys to protect the girls, and so they must have some of those bolder genetics in them, but I caution visitors, especially children, to be careful, respectful and quiet around them. No problems at all. I sit with mine for long periods nearly every day, talk to them, bring treats, and they act like they like me too.
Melissa says
I didn’t think I would want a rooster because my best friend in grade school had a very mean one, BUT, the friend that we just got some chicks from recently has quite a few roosters and none of them seemed aggressive! My boys were even in the pen trying to hold some chickens with no issues. We are pretty positive that the chicks we got from her are all hens, but we also hatched out a couple eggs she gave us as well, so we aren’t sure if either or both of those 2 chicks are roosters or not. I am not so concerned now after meeting her roosters though, and we live in the country so the crowing isn’t an issue with neighbors (though we may end up having an issue with it ourselves, we’ll see! lol) 🙂
Nichole says
Mavis doesn’t want babie chickens. 🙂
Carin says
I think Mavis could handle baby chickens. The HH might be another story. 😉
Talaena says
Some high maintenance suburbia areas also have housing authority regulations that say you’re not allowed to have roosters. Which is lame but understandable.
Our family farm has about 60 birds (chickens, ducks and two pesky geese), of the chickens there are at least 6 roosters. They can get mean for sure and yes they pick on the hens but well that’s part of nature. The roosters will also defend their hens.
My folks haven’t needed to buy chicks in quite a while. Usually 2 or 3 times a summer a hen will go broody and she’ll hatch on average of 5 or so chicks. (One year there was a hen who hatched 13.) Some of which are roosters, hence the reason there is so many roosters in the flock now. The cool part is the alpha rooster will leave the little roosters alone because he recognizes that they were born on the farm.
Last weekend I had a rooster following me around the farm. Every time I turned around to see if he was still there he would stop dead in his tracks about 2 feet away from me but as soon as I started moving again he was right there on my ankles. He was following me because he knows where some of the good food comes from. Kinda cute if you ask me.
We’ve only ever had a problem with one rooster, the first rooster we had, who wasn’t born on the farm. He made it possible for another rooster to be born on the farm and as soon as he was old enough to do his job the first rooster um…retired. 🙂
Connie Reeder says
Are you suppose to keep roosters in the hen house and do the roosters protect the hens from predators such as coyotes and bear?
Mavis says
We are not allowed to have roosters here in suburbia… too loud. 🙁
Firefly Mom says
We have 7 chickens and every body SWORE to us that two of them were roos when they were chicks. They apparently displayed the behaviours of roos as well as some physical characteristics for their breeds (Barred Rock and Cuckoo Maran). Guess what? They’re both hens, and have layed plenty of eggs to prove it.
Liz F says
Mavis I wouldn’t count pablo out just yet. 🙂 Both my young wyandottes ( a silver and a gold laced) got dark purple combs and wattles same size right around the same age. I see the same development in yours. Mine are now 19 weeks and most def. girls. Boys are also more splashy with the coloring and I see the same patterning in both birds. Wyandottes I’m told just develop faster. I believe it was right around the same age 3-4 weeks that I began to think oh no! But all is good. Wait for something more certain.
Aryn says
Thank you so much for these pictures. We had a broody hen hatch 2 out of 8 eggs (it was her first time) and we are hoping against hope that they are both girls! I could not find any other pictures comparing the two online, and whatever you do, DO NOT do a search for “female chicks” even with strict safe search on unless you want to see…well you know. Our chicks are not this old yet but these pictures will be very helpful in the coming weeks. Thank you!
Shirley Westra says
Can a vet tell if a chick is a male or female? I’m thinking about letting my layer hatch an egg or 2 this spring but don’t need any more roosters!!!! One is enough. He was a bit mean at first but he is soooo tolerant of the girls and never picks on them – gets frisky some days but the girls let him know if it’s ok or not. I have 1 layer who would be a great mom – but really only want to keep the hens.