# Cockrels or not?



## Jeremysbrinkman (Jul 12, 2012)

I was looking over some of 2 month old chicks and noticed a little "button" on the back of their legs where spurs come in. I looked at my full grown hens and notice nothing like it. So are the ones with the button boys? If that is so 8-10 out of 20 are boys. I want another rooster but not that many.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Post photos of the button please Jeremy do we cAn all see what you are referring to. Rx buddy.


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## MatthewBK (Sep 24, 2012)

Agreed, kind of hard to imagine.


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

Your guess is as good as mine ...


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

That's about the proper ratio m/f.. Sometimes you hear of folks gettin lucky and gettin more pullets than cockerels, but my experience is usually out of 20 chicks, 12-15+ will be males, that's why the sex link chicks (stars) are becoming more popular with beginners looking for egg layers vs. egg fertilizers.. Just a thought. IMO that's not so much a "gamble" and you don't waste time, food, & money raising 20 chicks only to get rid of half or more as they mature. I'm lucky I lie in the boonies and always have cockerels/cocks running loose, free range and then I can harvest for the freezer when proper size. As of yesterday I have 14 males runnin the farm.


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## twentynine (Jul 11, 2012)

My overall average for the year on 400+ hatched is right bang on 50/50.

Generally speaking I can do pretty danged good at 3 - 4 weeks of age, sexing the group. Now if I reach in and grab one chick, pull it out of the brooder where I can no longer compare side by side, my average drops.

At two months when viewing the entire group the roosters should be easy to spot.


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Wow !! That's a great average 29 ! 
400 compared to say, 20 chicks I imagine they would balance out a bit. I agree at that age i can sex them too, I didn't get the details of the original post, if they were feed store chicks or ordered from hatchery, but on just straight run chicks, I've never had any great averages, lol.. Luck of the draw I guess.. Or just the company or individual selling them passes them off as straight run, (my guess)... Because they all get more for pullets (layers) than cockerels.. Coincidence ? I think not.. lol


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## twentynine (Jul 11, 2012)

cogburn said:


> Wow !! That's a great average 29 !
> 400 compared to say, 20 chicks I imagine they would balance out a bit. I agree at that age i can sex them too, I didn't get the details of the original post, if they were feed store chicks or ordered from hatchery, but on just straight run chicks, I've never had any great averages, lol.. Luck of the draw I guess.. Or just the company or individual selling them passes them off as straight run, (my guess)... Because they all get more for pullets (layers) than cockerels.. Coincidence ? I think not.. lol


Well let me back off on that a little cogburn.

I've hatched right at 400 this year, half of them were BSLs, so sexing them were a given. Some of the RIRs were sold as day olds, so they were never included in the sexing average, because they never reached the age while under my control, where I could sex them. But of the BSLs and RIRs that are part of the average, it is like 48% pullet, 52% cockeral.


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Still, that's a good average.. I'd like to pick your brain sometime, maybe ask you some questions, on your equipment, and set up, I want to set up a little better operation myself... And start some breeding and see how it goes, instead of just having yard birds.. Try to focus and make a better effort and provide folks with some nice chicks, was thinking of 200-250 for a start, I've got several people interested, but I don't sell chicks now, only fresh eggs and can't keep up with demand, I'm just getting my layer numbers increased presently. Now i have 15 layers & I'll have 45 layers next spring, when my pullets mature...
Barring any major catastrophe ! Lol


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## twentynine (Jul 11, 2012)

cogburn
i'll try to drop you a PM soon.


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Sounds good ! Thanks a bunch. No hurry...


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## Jeremysbrinkman (Jul 12, 2012)

Here is a photo of the spot I am asking about. I also took a pic of the same birds face.


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## twentynine (Jul 11, 2012)

That looks like a pullet.

What breed is that?


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## Jeremysbrinkman (Jul 12, 2012)

It's face does but what about that that bump on its leg


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Some hens can have spurs, true mostly as they get older. But I've seen bumps on pullets before too, dark legs are easier to see/spot em..


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I think she's a pullet or a hen. I don't thing intersex like Pat. Might just have a little genetic spur trait.


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## Jeremysbrinkman (Jul 12, 2012)

They suppose to be copper Marans the featherless legs kind. I seen eggs from the mom and they were really dark.


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## oakwood (Aug 21, 2012)

Lots of breeds of chickens have buds as youngsters male or female .


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