The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: greengumbo on August 15, 2016, 12:55:41 pm
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Hi all - see attached picture.
Pretty sure these are both cockerels but only one is crowing (blue leg ring nearest in pic) and he seems very rangey and dominant in the mixed flock compared to the red ringed one. The red ringed one does have signs of small tail plumes but acts very differently and has thinner neck / different head feathering.
Any ideas ? Is it wait a few more weeks to see ?
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Hmm. If you look at the hackle feathers can you see a difference? Cockerels will generally have pointed hackle feathers, hens rounder ones. I also consider which has the thickest legs, which of the same batch first shows reddening of the comb and wattles (cockerel) and whether the bird has a small tufty tail quite early on (hen) or a rounded rump for longer (cockerel - the feathers that emerge will be the sickle tail feathers).
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Red leg band looks less cockerely than blue band, but I'd say both boys, just one not quite as mature. Sorry!
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I'll try get better pics this evening and I'll have a good look at hackles as well.
Out of our 6 eggs incubated only these two hatched successfully so hoping red is actually a hen !
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I would say both are cockerels.
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I'll have a good look at hackles as well.
Try slipping a piece of card behind the feathers (probably dark coloured in your case). It will help you to see them more clearly. :thumbsup: