# Do cockerels and pullets fight each other?



## Chicken Boy (Feb 6, 2020)

I have a Barred Rock and an Ameraucana that I got from the feed store that are both 13 weeks old (the 3rd one, a Rhode Island Red, all of a sudden had seizures then dropped dead at 8 weeks). We bought them at 4 weeks and all 3 were supposed to be pullets. The RIR was clearly a pullet. I mention her because she was only half the size of the other two when she passed (all the same age), which could be an indication the much larger ones are cockerels. But based on looks alone, the Ameraucana clearly looks to be a pullet to me. I'm just not sure about the Barred Rock. I think we might have one boy and one girl. But recently they started sparring against each other very aggressively with their neck feathers flared. This was strange behavior to me because I did not think cockerels and pullets would fight each other. I have heard of boys fighting boys and girls fighting girls, but I have not heard about boys fighting girls. I would think that the pullet would immediately back down against the cockerel. If boys and girls do not fight each other, then that probably means we either have 2 pullets or 2 cockerels, but not one of each.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Can you post pictures?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I have seen my Silkies do that. Not often but about the time hormones start flowing they can get rather stupid.

Mitzy has a good idea on the pics. Getting a good side shot can often help in determining sex.


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## Chicken Boy (Feb 6, 2020)

Here's a video of them fighting. I don't have any good pictures. I'll try to do that when I get home tonight.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It's possible they are both roosters. 
But I've had 2 hens fight like that too.


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## Chicken Boy (Feb 6, 2020)

OK... took the pictures. Here is the Barred Rock.


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## Chicken Boy (Feb 6, 2020)

Here is the Ameraucana.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

13 weeks? That barred could be a male. But since I'm the worst at sexing anything that's not a Silkie lets wait for Maryellen or Mitzy to give their two cents.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

I'm thinking both are roosters, the barred rock is getting saddle feathers and the ee ( not an ameraucana) is a rooster like you thought


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Both are roosters


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## Chicken Boy (Feb 6, 2020)

mitzy123point said:


> I'm thinking both are roosters, the barred rock is getting saddle feathers and the ee ( not an ameraucana) is a rooster like you thought


Actually, we thought the EE (the guy at the feed store who sold it to us said it was an Ameraucana) was a pullet. The saddle feathers are curved, not pointy. Doesn't this indicate it is a pullet?

The BR is the one we suspected of being a roo. The saddle feathers are small and hard to tell if they are pointy. The feathers off its back were pecked off by the EE when they were younger. They are starting to grow back, which is why they are so small.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Oh sorry misread that, the Easter egger is getting the long thin tail feathers and they typically mature slowly, females combs don't get any color until about 20 weeks old. Farm stores like to label them as ameraucanas as do hatcheries so they can sell them for more or easier. Ameraucanas will have black or grey legs Easter eggers can have any colored leg but tend to be more green. Ameraucanas also only come in now 9 color variations and a few project variation. As a tell tale sign if it lists their color it is more likely an ameraucana but they are fairly rare and only one hatchery breeds true ones and they are in the bbs varieties  very pretty boys though!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

The black bird with the pretty wing feathers is a rooster.


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