How To Tell if Your Chicken is a Rooster

There are many signs to look for if you suspect a chicken may actually be a rooster. Just because a store says that their baby chicks are all pullets (hens) doesn't mean they are always 100% accurate. I share what you should look for after the chickens are about 12 weeks old to determine if you may have a rooster.

We have 13 chickens living in an 8'x4' chicken coop that we just finished building. We fear one or more may actually be roosters. The breeds are as follows:
5 Buff Orpington
2 Ameraucana
2 Black Sex Links
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes
2 Olive Eggers

LINKS & RESOURCES
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Little Giant Large Steel Poultry Feeder

Heated 3 Gallon Chicken Waterer

Baby Chick Brooder:

Radiant Heat Chick Brooder:

Chick Waterer - Nipples and Cups

Chick Feeder

Organic Layer Feed:

Organic Starter Feed:

Organic Grower Feed:
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#chickens #rooster #backyardchickens

[Aprons.Overalls]

What is your favorite part about keeping backyard chickens? 😎🐔🐓

[iLoveMyPygmyGoats]

Didn't see an update on this year old video, but I can tell you how my situation with 3 roosters turned out. I got 39 pullets and 3 turned out to be roosters. Since they were raised together they pretty much got along with the exception of a spat or two occasionally and apparently they settled whatever differences they had amicably because any confrontation never ended with a bloody rooster. It probably helped each rooster had his own harem by the time they were mature plus we had 30 acres they could free range. They lived fairly peacefully together their entire lives and even entered the large chicken coop together every night without incident.

[Wildflower_Breads]

I appreciate that you said "live free" at the end. We're trying out here. 🇨🇦

[perfectionnotallowed]

I’ve always experienced some of my chicks being roosters. I think the only way to avoid it is probably to get started pullets because they’re older. My first year doing chickens I bought 12. I ended up with six hens and six roosters. I bought those from a local farmer. I don’t think she knew how to sex them. Over the years from Tractor Supply 1 out of every 10 tends to be a rooster. I harvest them because too many roosters throws off the hen to rooster ratio and it’s overwhelming to the hens.

[cassieb]

I have purchased numerous times from mail order and only wanted pullets. I still got a rooster out of 25.
Last time at Tractor Supply an older woman taught me how to sex them while they are still small.
If you look at the wing and it has 2 layers of feathers it is a female. If the wing is a little stumpy and only has 1 layers of feathers it is a rooster.
I did this with her at tractor supply and all 12 were hens!! First time ever! This really only works for the first week.
Once they are a few weeks old you can tell by their body shape.
Males are more upright in the chest and the females are more horizontal carry in the body.
My favorite roosters have been my Marans and my Cochins. They are now about 3 and have never bee aggressive at all.

[crystalhenderson]

I bought 9 Pullets, 8 weeks in I think one of my Rhode Island Blues is a Roo. I think he tried to crow this morning. I can not have roosters and do not know what to do. But mine is the same way, he/she is larger than the rest and has a huge comb and waddles where the other eithg only have very small combs. Freezer camp is a big NO, I have raised them from 2 day old chicks and Love them! I wanted chickens for eggs, not meat!

[milkhousemusic]

Take note of how the chicken carries itself- horizontal back with poofy breast = hen.
Upright body, lack of breast, high step, and short back = rooster.
Note that some breeds of hens can have large combs. Also, some hens have slight spurs.
Some roosters never crow,
while some roosters will even sit in a nest never to actually lay an egg!

[skippim.]

I'm in Idaho and belong to a facebook Chicken group. When we discover we have a pullet rooster (unknown) we put them on posts for re-homing. There's always someone who takes them. We have backyard chickens to free range on acreage here. Plus, sometimes a photo of a beautiful guy, will have everyone willing to take him! Some City limits or HOA's restrict the rooster within the boundaries. I'm a newbie with my girls, so I'm always searching for new information to keep my 7 healthy and happy!

[UnderThreeAcres]

Having a rooster is a good idea for predator control. When they are fully grown they protect the ladies. If you have 2, one will be the Alpha and the other a beta. Our two roosters work well together to protect our layers. We have a second coop this year with our babies. The reason the foxes were successful in snatching so many of them is because the coop didn’t have a fully mature rooster. There are 8 that are going to start crowing soon. Some of those guys will feed our family.

That Americauna is definitely a rooster. His offspring will blue or green eggs layers. If any of them are nasty pick them up and hold them upside down until they settle down. Our rooster was a jerk. I did this three times and now he is the most gentle guy and a keeper. The ladies love him and he doesn’t chase anyone. Rapists end up as food. I won’t have anyone roughing up my ladies, gentle lovers only. 🤭

[perfectionnotallowed]

The Ameraucana is a rooster. Or whatever breed that chicken is that you showed coming out first. That orange marbeling on his wings is a dead giveaway. His comb being that red at 10 weeks is also a giveaway. 💜

[MJ-wzjo]

I have 2 months old crowing. Chickadee is a rooster for sure he has slow feathering but what he does have is definitely a rooster.

[sandycorrigan]

We bought 25 pullets and ended up with 4 roosters. 3 salmon feverolles and an Easter egger. Now I believe one of our olive eggers might be a rooster as well

[ccasenathhorton]

I bought 25. 10 straight run and 15 pullets. Tractor supply said 50/50 female for straight run, 97% female for pullets. They are 9 weeks old now, and I can’t see much of a difference yet.

[angirubino]

When I bought my chicks I was told that there is a 10% chance of getting a rooster whenever you buy chicks from a farm store. I have one that I cannot tell if it is a rooster or not. The bottom two of its wing feathers are really big and a different color than the rest of its feathers. It is less than a year old. Also, it always roosts a couple feet away from the other hens.

[wanderingstarfarmhouse]

Yeah, it's those wispy tail feathers that look very "rooster-y". Especially the black ones with the green sheen... We've always put them in the soup pot before because we lived in town and didn't want to bug our neighbors. But out here we are interested in having a rooster for flock protection. We'll take one off your hands if you end up with multiple. In Kansas we always bought "straight run" chicks that were un-sexed. I kind of wondered why chicks were so much more expensive than I remembered--then I realized they were sexed to be girls. The six we got last year did all prove to be female. Our four chicks this year are too young to tell. Our four guineas could be either. I hope for at least one male and one female--but we'll see...

[sandracarrasquillo]

Yes I bought 4 pullets and 1 looks larger and I heard a “crook” and the feathers are looking different. Thanks for your tip.

[alularussell]

Great vid, I've wondered when we should start looking for clues in our own group of chicks. Otherwise, my real question is, have you ever had another website called "survival with Craig"? You sure look like him.

[edmundostefany]

This is my second time having chickens, I have a few Jersey Giants, Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, Light Brahmas, Plymouth rocks and a few silkies, we are located down here tampa Florida, we love our chickens but I think one of my buff is a Roos, we have them only a few weeks, will keep you posted, “Live Free” 🇺🇸

[Pdubb]

Yea that Americana is a roo checking the saddle if I was wrong which I could be I would shocked just because it has the characteristics

[Hotwash]

Can I ask if your chickens jump over the fence? I was thinking of building something similar.