I have nothing more to add. They can be a little less easy to find but are very attractive birds. The comb refers to the protruding red crest that grows on the top of their head. The content of this website is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Many poultry breeders know this and would roll their eyes at these replies I keep getting over a simple comment on grammar. They will look a bit puny to start with but eventually the pointed hackle feathers and the curving sickle feathers will give the typical rooster look. Rhode Island Blues are considered large fowl and are similar in stature and size to Rhode Island Reds, with roosters weighing in at around 8lbs, and hens weighing in at around 6lbs. The secret to being able to tell a rooster from a hen is practice and patience. Dont expect them to deter any varmint larger than a field mouse, but a well-handled bantam rooster can be a rewarding and endearing pet. If this breed sounds familiar you may have seen them listed as Sapphire Rock, Sapphire Blue, Plymouth Blue, and so on. We also share 5 easy methods you can use to tell the difference. Thank you for your time and effort of your article. Which do I keep?! I do understand what the author was trying to say, but it *can* be worded better, no doubt about that. Since blue is heterozygous you will get mostly blue chicks with the rest being black or splash. , even to more obscure breeds like the silver laced wyandotte. The difference between a Rhode Island Red Rooster and Hen at - YouTube The 3 younger roos are 6-7 months old. If you want to know more about chickens, quail, and goats, The Happy Chicken Coop is the place to be! Usually the bigger the bird, the more laid back their chichenality is. On young roosters, the tail feathers are rounded, a little pointy, and not well-defined. With this method, you can distinguish hens from roosters as young as four weeks old. It depends on your flock really. These classic birds are an excellent choice if you want a little color in your egg carton. Rhode Island Red Baby Chicks Male Or Female? OMG! It's a Roo! How to Tell if You Have a Hen or a Rooster Hens are also smaller which helps if they have to move quickly to avoid trouble. They fall on the sides in a waterfall shape. Reply. A Rhode Island Red rooster will start crowing at around 16 weeks old. Finally, there is the type of sexing best categorized as wivestales, whichis no more scientifically accuratethan random guessing. Your email address will not be published. Thats a lot of blues! Even before elongated plumes grow, boys and girls have different tails. spread the little wings of week-old chickswith the mixed heritage mentioned above, the primary feathersare already in. Prolific Egg Layers All to help you prepare your flock accordingly! If you are interested in blue patterned birds you can find blue laced red or blue partridge Wyandottes, blue copper Marans, and blue brassy back Old English Game Bantams! Required fields are marked *. Egg shape. You will not get a breed of only roosters, so it is incorrect to refer to a rooster as a breed. In plumage, the appearance of the boys and girls is striking. Blue Australorp4. If you introduce a behemoth of a rooster into a flock of hens that are of small stature, they probably wont breed, or worse, theyll injure your hens. Blue Silkie Just like many roosters, the Rhode Island Red is very protective, much more boisterous, active, and clearly takes care of its flock. Wattles are the dangly bits below the chickens head. This is a task for the professionals! Ive had several polish. This cross produces red hens and roosters largely white in color. As the flock leader, it is the roosters job to keep the flock safe, keep subordinates in line and mate with the hens as frequently as possible. Egg candling. There are a lot of experienced breeders who do agree with me on this. It is not always true that all RIR roosters are aggressive in nature. Theres no question why blue is absolutely gorgeous in chickens! From about 6-10 weeks old Wyandotte roosters will be showing their red combs and the presence of red wattles on the sides of their face! 11 Blue Chicken Breeds - Farmhouse Guide Your regular barred chickens can be turned from black and white striped to blue and white striped! Rhode Island Reds have a classification with the American Poultry Association, but it's unclear . Where did these magnificent roosters get their start? If your chicken has beautiful long flowing hackle feathers then they are a rooster. However the exact ratio for your flock will depend on the particular breeds you have and the number of hens you have. The American Poultry Association includes many different breeds, both bantam, and standard, that include blue varieties. However sex-linked birds will not breed true. Blue Rocks and Rhode Island Blues - BackYard Chickens Even for someone with very little chicken knowledge, you can kind of guess it. The male offspring are feathered barred like their mother and the female offspring are a solid color, typically black. He is a big Cuckoo Maran. Hens tend to stay closer to the ground, and only stretch up to around 15-16 inches in height, weighing in at about 10 pounds. If your birds seemingly mature late or early, this should not overly concern you. Ive already covered why in my reply to another flamer. You can also sex your Rhode Island Red chick through vent sexing on the first or second day after hatching before a distending digestive system blocks the rudimentary sex organ. Rhode Island Blues are a combination between Rhode Island Reds and Australorps. That is a lot of responsibility. This accumulates to about 200-300 eggs annually, a lucrative number for any poultry farmer focused on the highest profits. If you want something on the larger side, Id suggest getting a standard Cochin, Brahma or Langshan, since the larger they are, the more easy-going they tend to be. I have RIR thats about 5 mos old that crowed yesterday morning, & Im not sure its a hen or roo. The Complete Silver Laced Wyandotte Care Guide - Chickens And More However sometimes a rooster will be born with hen feathering - this means he will have feathers that are the color and shape of the hen bird. Blue Breasted Red Old English5. Even the experts are wrong 10% of the time, hence the occasional oops in the sexed chicks you buy. Please note that you really want to have 10 hens + per rooster and that keeping multiple roosters together in a flock with hens can cause problems (and result in major injuries). Many zoning rules include how many birds you can keep, and usually specify if you can or cant have a rooster. The Bantam 4 (duccles) are keen to attack anything that menaces their hens, and are mostly happy to be hand-fed treats when there is no danger. A big sign is they will start to crow around seven weeks or so. Required fields are marked *. At this time, male chicks will also try crowing, unlike females. Water not only helps them to remain healthy, but it also means they keep providing you with a regular flow of fresh eggs. Ive never heard that in dog circles. In this article we will teach you how to tell a rooster from a hen with simple explanations and images. I always walk away with some tidbit of information that I did not have before. Sexing by this spot color is not always accurate because of the spots size variations. Blue Andalusians are a great option for anyone who wants a lot of white eggs from a blue chicken! In fact, this is the main differentiator of hens and roosters in most chicken breeds, from silkie hens and roostersto ISA Brown hens and roosters, even to more obscure breeds like the silver laced wyandotte. Here are the main differences between Rhode Island Red hens and roosters and how you can tell the difference from an adult age all the way down to baby chicks. When Rhode Island Red chickens have matured, its very easy to spot the difference. An obvious clue of a 12-week-old cockerel is its long, arched tail feathers, known as sickle feathers. They will start to develop hackle feathers on the neck and sickle tail feathers around 12 weeks or so. The best place to find breeds that are recognized in blue would be your countrys poultry association. You will need to have a fast feathering hen crossed with a slow feathering rooster or vice versa. Youll notice that Rhode Island Red roosters stand more upright, at about 20-22 inches in height, weighing about 15 pounds. They are originally meat birds but arent as efficient as other meat breeds and are therefore less popular. )is the biggest chicken of the bunch! It can work with the right flock and roosters, but you need to be pretty experienced. That term is effectively and routinely used when referring to livestock, be it individuals or a group. If there is any apparent danger they will round up your hens and shepherd them away from the danger. How To Tell A Rooster From A Hen: 5 Easy Differences Explained What have your experiences been? I really love roosters and there are wonderful roosters out there that get culled because neighbors complain (seriously, dogs barking, motor bikes screaming by, lawnmowers, etc., but people get all up in arms about a rooster?!). So now you know your roosters from your hens. Or maybe a Wyandotte? Onhybrid pullets, the primary feathers are strong and straight, and the layer of primary covert feathers is obvious and well-developed. It all began with a series of chicken breeding experiments back in 1854 by a man named William Tripp. Rhode Island Red Rooster Vs Hen The Rhode Island Red roosters are known for their aggressiveness because of which few chicken raisers don't like to raise this breed. Let us know in the comments section below, Sign up for my weekly emails and learn how to raise healthy and happy chickens, Backyard chickens need fresh and clean water all year round. Blue Ameraucanas are a popular blue egg layer that has the bonus of a beard and muffs! Although both hens and roosters can grow wattles and combs, Rhode Island Red roosters grow their wattles and combs much earlier than hens, from around 6-8 weeks old. Their chest should be fairly broad as should the shoulders. Understanding Sex-Link Hybrid Chickens - Backyard Poultry FREE EMAIL BONUSTips & smart strategies to save time and money! Ta-da! Roosters alone are not a breed & cannot duplicate themselves. Feather sexing of these hybrids is determined by a layer of feathers lying over the primaries. Hackle feathers are the long flowing feathers that grow around the neck of a rooster. Raising Goats The Complete How To Guide, Guinea Hen: What is a Guinea Fowl, Eggs, and All You Need To Know (Complete Care Guide), 10 Best Chicken Show Breeds (And Why Theyre a Keeper! Certainly. One cream gene turns a chestnut horse into a palomino or a bay horse into a buckskin while two-turn that chestnut to cremello and buckskin to perlino. You may find a bad apple, so try another rooster before giving up on the breed. The flight feathers on your female chicks wings are usually longer than the males, but the male has bigger developing tail feathers. The first picture is of a Rhode Island Red rooster and hen. Ayam Cemani and Spitzhauben are definitely the watch-chickens, but less likely to actually fight, and the Spitz is a certified spam. Rhode Island Red ~ Prolific Layers and Easy to Raise | Chickens As she starts to look around for nesting spots, she will become more vocal. If a rooster wants to mate he may do a little dance for her to try and get her to squat for him. If a pet bird is what youre after, be sure to handle them frequently from an early age. Our blogs and articles are updated regularly with many different important topics on care, purchasing tips, fun facts, and more. Anyone thats owned Rhode Island Reds will attest to just how amazing, wonderfully well-mannered, and beautiful these creatures can be. A disgruntled neighbor, regardless of local regulations, can make things harder than they need to be. They are great for those who want a bird that can handle free-ranging well. Thanks! I suggest using a dual purpose breed for this since you want the hens you hatch to lay eggs and the roosters to have the frame to carry the muscle. A Rhode Island Red rooster is your flock's leader and keeps it in line and safe from predators. If you choose to raise them, you need to either live somewhere warm or make sure to keep them from getting too cold in the winter. Theyre nice, calm birds that lay a lot of big brown eggs. They lay a ton of lovely blue eggs and are good at free-ranging. Your email address will not be published. During those harsh winter days waterers often freeze and your chickens cannot Read More , Candling eggs is one of the most exciting parts of hatching chicken eggs. Oddly enough, crowing does not guarantee that your bird is male. Your best rooster breed for hatching meat-worthy chickens from your flock will not be a commercial meat bird. Rhode Island Reds- we have 3, all fiesty. When a black-based chicken has TWO copies of the blue gene you end up with a splash. May 31, 2018 39,201 79,042 These chicks can be sexed by comparing the growth rate of the wing feathers. What happens if you cross breed chickens? - Thank Chickens Actually, you might be surprised by some who will think, based on this article, that there is a breed of chicken comprised solely of roosters. Rhode Island Blues are a cross between Rhode Island Reds and Australorp chickens. Their feather sprouts have an alternating patternof longer and shorter feathers. All Rights Reserved. The combs and wattles on a rooster will be darker pink and they will grow faster and larger than a hen's combs and wattle. If you look at the rooster he will also have much longer spurs. Roosters are usually a little heavier and larger. That way, shell blend in with her surroundings and avoid being spotted by predators. Rhode Island Red hens will often start laying eggs at 18-20 weeks though a few will begin at 16 weeks old. Vent sexing is a specialized practice that takes years to perfect. So sometimes appearances can be deceptive! Silver Laced Wyandotte Hen Vs. Rooster (Differences - With Pictures!) Saddle feathers, as the name implies, are located on the back just above the tail, right where a saddle would fit. Ta-da! These long feathers are pointed at the tips whereas a hens neck feathers are much shorter and more rounded. If he is a subordinate rooster then he will look to the alpha rooster for cues and direction. Are you looking to help a rare breed or variety survive? My silkie man is a love-bug, who is mostly concerned with fighting the other roosters. Even when you settle on the best rooster breed for protecting your flock, remember that, just like people, each will have its own quirks and chickenality. I agree that behavior is a big indicator and by about 4 weeks we were already pretty sure they were roosters. Required fields are marked *. Roosters dont. Any suggestions for a good semi-docile rooster that would be a good meat bird for breeding. The tail feathers of hens are broad, straight, and full. This should make it easier for you to tell a rooster from a hen. Splash chickens bred together will always produce splash chicks. Chickens And More is quickly becoming the online destination for all backyard chicken enthusiasts. If your chick does not fall into these categories then you will have to observe them carefully and wait until they reach adolescence. Blue Jersey Giant9. I cant find anything on who to order. The definitive fail-safe method to distinguish roosters from hens occurs around five or six months of age: Hens lay eggs. If you're looking for a rooster that will give you sturdy progeny that could lay eggs or suffice as meat birds . If your birds live their happy little lives out until natural causes take them to the other side, then this wont apply to you, which is perfectly fine. ETA: Rhode Island Reds Crossed with Blue Orphintons should also make a Rhode Island Blue. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from tending my flock. Reactions: MysteryChicken. However when compared to roosters, hens are much more submissive and will be more careful when ranging. The typical badult arnyard rooster is easy to spot. Blue Jersey Giants are a BIG bird that comes in blue! But the one is definitely the dominant one. My frustration also exists at this point because way too many people love to jump on the hate bandwagon these days like they are still in high school and have an emotional reaction to everything they dont agree with and try to incite an emotional reaction from those they are hating on. You can read what Ive already posted. When he finds something tasty for the hens he will draw their attention to it by making a tuk sound to tell them he has found something interesting for them. Rhode Island Red hens raise their chicks and nest. A number of different crosses can produce red sex-links. Rhode Island Blue - Mt Healthy Hatcheries If she is not interested then he will move away and try his luck elsewhere. Your email address will not be published. Byfour to six months of age, secondary feathers begin to formas the birds approach sexual maturity. This merely shows whether an egg is fertile, not the gender. Some breeds of rooster are known to assist in selecting nest sites and raising chicks with the hen, but these are the exception not the norm. They recognize Ameraucana, American Game, Andalusian, Araucana, Belgian dAnver, Belgian dUccle, Booted, Cochin, Cornish, Dutch, Faverolle, Japanese, Langshan, Leghorn, Modern, Naked Neck, Old English, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Polish, Rosecomb, Silkie, Spanish Sultan, Sumatra, Watermaal, and Wyandotte. Because its a roosters duty to protect their flock and dominate their hens, they need to grow bigger and stronger and develop better weapons to fight off predators. Rhode Island Red Hen vs Rooster How to Tell the Difference? They curve up and gracefully arc down into the tail itself. I love having a big, fluffy and friendly rooster in my flock, and it sparks some interesting conversations when people see him strolling through my yard. Premium Feather Member. They look exactly like a mini version of a stereotypical chicken and lay a lot of small cream eggs. Bantam roosters can make great pets, and if handled a lot, can be amazingly docile. Rhode Island Red Chicken: Eggs, Height, Size and Raising Tips Ive had a Cuckoo Marans, RIR, black Australorps, and a buff Orpington rooster with the older Brahma. So how doyoutellaparta baby rooster vs baby hen? The article was somewhat helpful to me. More than one rooster is advanced chicken keeping. One does not need a male Rhode Island Red for the hen to lay eggs. You might be surprised. Blue Silkies are much like other Silkies, just blue colored. This is because roosters will begin to develop their wattles from as young as 6-8 weeks old, whereas it will take hens months longer to start showing any real wattles. Originally hybridswith complicated lineages,they continued to breed trueanddeveloped into an autonomous breed,such asLegbars (originally bred from Leghorn roosters and Barred Plymouth Rock hens). Most notably, on cockerels the tail area arches in a rounded shape, whereas a hens tail region is flatter. it has beautiful tail feathers that are curved, & flowy, & have a sheen to them thats very dark. If I use your example (it didnt support your angle very well, btw, and I did follow what you meant), would you talk to someone about a bitch breed? I choose only the breeds that are known to have docile (toward people) roosters, but I dont keep rooster breeds.. One that grew up with the hens that the game rooster Gangster took over he follows them from a distance until he gets ran off. It is also one of the most important. And there it is again in yet another article. Blue Copper Maran7. Silkie Hen Vs. Rooster: How To Tell The Difference (With Pictures!) Thank you for this article! You can gain a lot of knowledge about them by sitting and watching them interact. Yes, I am crossing my Blue Rock rooster to the Rhode Island blue hens. They are intensely curious and seemingly unafraid. Even is the rooster does not look like your typical rooster, they will have a rooster attitude all you have to do is watch carefully. In the fun of getting tiny fluffy chicks, its hard to imagine a timetheywont be welcomeinthe barnyard (or backyard). It is simple grammar and the knowledge of proper terminology. It may be hard to think of a rooster as a family pet, but it can be. Always the last back inside the coop. Blue Rosecomb Bantam10. Similarly, Barred Plymouth Rocks have a light-colored spot on their heads upon hatching larger in males, and smaller and narrower in females. I am sure when most poeple think of a rooster they imagine the iconic image of the rooster with a large comb, head thrown back to crow and a long rooster tail. Fertility rates vary from breed to breed, and from bloodline (family) to bloodline. He will learn from the head Rooster and the time will come when he issues a challenge for supremacy. Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. We do want chicks but we do not want an aggressive rooster that attacks us; weve had that and we had to dispose of him. When youre raising your own baby chicks, one of the biggest challenges is determining whether they are female or male. The French Marans, as mentioned above, has feathering on the legs, whereas the English Marans (sometimes just called the "Marans") does not. I enjoy working with them. I have also never heard of a bull breed or a sire breed. It is not routinely used as is claimed. There are essentially two kindsof sex-linked crosses: black sex-linked and red sex-linked. Information provided is general purpose only and not meant to replace professional and medical advice. Layered over thoseis a secondary layer called primary coverts.. Roosters breeds are roosters that belong to a breed, like I can name my german shepherd male as a male dog whose breed is german shepherd. I good rooster can become your right hand man out in the coop, but a bad rooster can really be a terror to both the people and the hens. How do you tell a rooster from a hen? Its natural to have a rooster with your hens, and many of us become curators of cantankerous roosters by accident. As with all things chicken, leg thickness is not uniform across all breeds. They are considered a large standard bird. If this breed sounds familiar you may have seen them listed as Sapphire Rock, Sapphire Blue, Plymouth Blue, and so on. The gene works by diluting black pigment, so you can combine it with any other color or pattern that expresses black normally. I meet all typessome people dont know their right hand from their left. Chickens And More is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and any other affiliated sites. Otherwise they adopt a more submissive role and let the rooster be out in front and in charge. Are Aspen Shavings REALLY A Good Bedding For Chickens? Color Varieties If your bird is crowing very loudly or too early, you might have to get him an anti-crow collar. You can sex a Rhode Island Red chick at hatching using its wing color. RIR hens produce medium to large eggs that are light brown in color. These gorgeous birds are big, fluffy, lay lots of brown eggs, and have rich mahogany feathers edged in blue! Little boys dont flee when you put a hand in the brooder theyre bolder. The Sex Link Hybrid is the result of crossing two heritage pure bred poultry standard chicken breeds together, the Rhode Island Red Chicken rooster and the Barred Rock Chicken hen. Always ask a veterinarian for help regarding your birds. If theyve all been raised together it should be OK to keep 2 roosters for 6 hens, but certainly no more. Stick with the hens. Roosters are known to be gentle and non-aggressive; since they stand 24-32 inches high, that's a good thing! I have a young 10 month old brazen Brahma (pretty decent protector) and an almost 5 year old sweet Brahma that has balance issues from a rooster attack (an Easter Egger culled his butt), hes scared of everything. Blue Rocks are actually a first-generation cross between the normal barred Plymouth Rock and a Blue Andalusian. Rhode Island Reds are a great choice for beginner chicken-keepers, or expert small flock keepers alike! They have met those types that perpetuate false ideas based on what theyve heard or briefly read in an article without thinking. They lay between 200 - 250 large, brown eggs a year. Depending on your neighbor, it may be a short drive. Thank you. At adult age, there is a clear size difference between the Silkie hens and Silkie roosters. They dont, becausetheyre not accurate. Pullet or Cockerel? How to Know - Timber Creek Farm Luckily this popularity is making it easier and easier to find and anyone can add a fun splash of color to their coop. Rhode Island Blues are another hybrid, but this time they mixed a Rhode Island Red and an Australorp! Male Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshire chicks have a white spot on the down over the wing web (this spot is lost when the chicks feather out). Learn about the different roles of the hen and roosters and you will become a great chicken mom or dad. Between three and seven days old, feather sexing is possible but ONLY if a chicks father was a fast-feathering breed and the chicks mother was a slow-feathering breed. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "afce9d7ed3cb9c06a0ff0183eb0d6497" );document.getElementById("b503fa7443").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If youre looking for a rooster that will give you sturdy progeny that could lay eggs or suffice as meat birds, look for something along the lines of a Barred Rock. If you look carefully you will see them standing taller and being bolder. Ask the Expert December 2014/January 2015. They recognize Ameraucana, American Game, Andalusian, Newer breeds or hybrids that come in blue include the Blue Rock and, Blue Copper Marans is a blue version of the standard, Blue Rocks are actually a first-generation cross between the normal barred, Rhode Island Blues are another hybrid, but this time they mixed a, The Sapphire Olive Egger is a hybrid blue, As you can see there are an unimaginable number of, 17 Best Blue Chicken Breeds for Your Flock. An adult rooster will have large wattles and a comb which are firm and a little waxy with deep colors. Some breeds of roosters (notablySebrights,Silkies, GoldenCampines) lack both hackle and saddle feathers (theyre termed hen feathered), butamong most breeds,these are reliable secondary characteristics since only males have saddle feathers. Hens lay about 5 - 7 eggs per week. But its getting time to get some new blood in the flock. Blue Cochin6. The difference between a roosters comb and wattles and a hens can be quite remarkable. Onhybridbabyroosters, the primary feathers are shorter, look spindly, and lacka noticeable row of primary coverts. Like with most chicken breeds, the first clue helping you to spot the difference between a Rhode Island Red hen and a rooster comes down to its size, stature, and body shape. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Your email address will not be published. Should I worry can bantam roos successfully fertilize eggs. Before we get carried away here, can you own a rooster? This muted color provides natural camouflage for the hen when she has to sit on her eggs. This is technically still my first year with chickens. The flock and the keeper love to forage, and the rooster is always on guard for trouble. They protect their flock and are responsible for the welfare and survival of the flock. That description of these birds is still true today. pls help, & thank you very much! Sex-Linked Crosses | Animal & Food Sciences - University of Kentucky He may repeatedly pick up and drop snacks to display what he has found for them. However, the younger the chicken is, the more challenging determining the sex becomes. In short, it is difficult to sex a chick at birth. Hens dont need a rooster in the flock to lay eggs, but they do need a rooster in the flock to lay fertile eggs. Once your hens are mature enough to start laying eggs there will be some behavioral changes to note. If youve ever known a rooster youll know what I mean here! Rooster vs. Hen: Know Before They Crow - Backyard Poultry You will soon be able to spot the roosters among the hens.