The Poultry Keeper

Cat · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 25

hi all again,
well my 4 chooks has turned into a small farm now, i did start off with 4 red girls which has now grown to 10 red girls, a leghorn girl, 3 bantys, a leg bar, a sussex, 4 others i haven't a clue what they are yet as they were given to me as the lady had got them as bantys and now they are def NOT bantys lol and got too big for her garden, 3 chicks (silver laced wyndottes i think lol that i was bought for my birthday) and Boris my lavender cockeral.

anyway the leg bar, sussex and bantys i have from chicks (bought as unknown sex's) now one Banty is def a girl as i have had eggs but dont know who from but def banty eggs, and the leg bar is a girl too. the sussex got huge very quickly and both me and my partner said it was probably a cockeral, but my neighbour said no its def a girl as it has no spurs.

but 2 days ago, Legs (named as she looked like she was on stilts compared to others) crowed! i was so shocked i nearly fell in my wheelbarrow i was trying to push through the mud at the time. i honestly didn't believe it so i stayed and watched until s/he did it again, and whats more as well as crowing s/he was trying to mate the other girls (more than Boris has ever done so far lol) so legs was evicted into the other pen with my four donated girls as s/he makes Boris look like a midget and i didn't want him getting hurt.

s/he still has no spurs, just little nobbles really that look no more than the girls have, s/he also doesn't have a fancy tail either. and is approx 6month old. s/he is the white and black sussex.

its it def a cockeral?
my dad said some chooks can change sex is he having me on? he usually does. lol.

if legs is a cockeral he will def stay as he should provide me with some good chicks for next time, crossed with my reds should make good layer shouldn't they?

love cat x

CP · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:15 pm Post subject:

Sounds like you have a cockerel! Laughing

At 6 months he may still not have his beautiful plumage & the spurs start out as little buds on their legs.

Having said that....it is possible for hens to (almost) have a sex change & start crowing & displaying signs of being a cockerel. Shocked

Usually happens when there isn't already one around.

One of our hens had a go at it a few years ago when we didn't have a cockerel for several months. Wink

Cat · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 25

hi there,
so were still no wiser lol, could be the real thing or a chicken that should tell its story on Jerry springer. lol.
oh well fits in with all the other non perfect creatures we have acquired over the years lol.
luv cat x

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: norfolk

Hi Cat

I have a 4 year old banty modern english game cockerel who has no spurs. In every other respect he is a cockerel - just no spurs, only little knobs.

I think some breeds don't have them.

Cheers

Kate

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3413 Location: Monmouthshire

Sussex can be difficult to sex, but I'd assume Legs is a cock. They're usually good tempered birds, and he'll be quite happy with the big hens.

mojo · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

my sussex coq GATWICK(get it) and my 2 hens BRIGHTON and HOVE........all looked much the same for about6/7 months then Gatwicks hackles got more pointy.... his wattles got redder.....he started to crow but just looked and he has only tiny nobbyly spurs.....so differant birds are as differant as people...............crowing and mounting are the best way for a non expert to tell a coq from a hen

Cat · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 25

hi again,
thanks to all who replied,
i learn something new every time i come on here, its great!!!!

legs has settled in well across in the small pen with the 4 girls, they dont bother him and he isn't bothering them (well at least now in a nasty way lol) the way hes going we'll have babies before much longer,

right that's the next thing i do want to breed but dont really know what to do, there is 4 girls and legs in that pen, the pen has plenty of room but at the mo i only have a small hutch for them as i had the 4 girls dropped on me unexpectedly and like i said before legs was in the large pen with the rest of the girls until start of this week, i will be investing in a bigger hutch / shed asap, there is room in it however and they all get in with room to spare etc so its not a battery shed either lol. but would a broody mum lay in there?
also do i leave legs (or Boris) in with the ones i want to breed? or should the broody be in alone?

thanks for all your help on legs, lol and the way s/he was crowing again this morning i'd def say legs is a coq.

luv cat x