Of the four baby chicks, I'm suspicious that one or two might be male, The red-circled brown leghorn has a redder, bigger comb than the blue-circled one. I think it's a cockerel (young male) while the blue-circled is a pullet. The americaunas are less obvious, only one pictured. One is larger than the other, but no difference in comb. We are still getting eggs from older hens, although some have slowed down. The oldest is about six years old - she laid one egg this week, the first since last summer. The two two-year-olds lay an egg a day, and a 3 year old lays a few a week. I don't mind one being a rooster. Two might be too many.
What an interesting posting, Daniel. I guess that buying little chicks is a bit of a lottery. Good luck, and keep us posted please.
I used to have chickens because my now deceased hubby loved eggs. Me ? Not so much. He bought 10 Buff Orpington chicks. All10 were roosters !! I bought a dozen Guinea fowl in all different colors. 10 were hens. I liked the Guineas better. No crowing at 4:30 am !!
Now that's really bad luck! Supposedly sexing is 90 to 95 % accurate. Last time, they were all hens. I guess I'm about due for a rooster. Thinking about it, I had decided to buy 3 chicks because last time, a varmint got one. I really only "needed" two new ones. But the had "Buy three, get one free", so I got four. If two turn out to be roosters, then I suppose I got what I originally wanted. I always feel like the roosters help keep varmints at bay. I've had nice ones and very mean ones.
Thank you, Sjoerd. Chickens are a part of the garden. Their eggs are a great source of protein, especially in these uncertain times. Their litter is fertilizer, and their eggshells give calcium to the garden soil.
Yes, the eggs are smaller than chicken eggs, but richer. The Guineas don't set on their eggs because they are desert animals so, the females all lay their eggs in a clutch together, cover them with sand and leave them. You need to put them under a setting hen and she will hatch and raise them. They don't scratch like chickens so your seedlings are not disturbed. They simply walk through the garden and very adeptly pick off all the bugs and if you have ticks or termites, they are in heaven !! They are not tame like chickens but they will come back into the pen if you habitually feed white millet at supper time. They will trot right in the pen so long as their favorite food is in there, but you only give it at night.
