Are my girls really girls?

[Anonymous]

Hello

I'm a little concerned about my 2 young brown hens. I got them from a friends mum about 4 weeks ago so they are now about 21 weeks old, they are making no attempt to lay, (i appreciate it's a little cold and they are young) even though they are always together exploring the garden or huddled up together they have started squaring up to each other... neck feather fluffed up and jumping up banging their chests together. They have also started to get black and white tail feathers, although quite short at the mo..

So the question is... could my girls boys and how do i tell?

Tori

 

[girlracer265]

tori hens /pullets square up to each other too, i was watching my partridge wyandottes doing exactly the same yesterday.
look at the feather around the neck of the firds are they rounded at the end or pointed?
rounded = females
pointed = males
post some pictures for us to see

 

[Lucylou]

Hi Tori,

I'm having the same problem!! Two of mine are going through a 'sex change'!! & I'm begining to think maybe I've even got a 3rd :lol: :!:

The 2 older ones, 26 ish weeks have always been the 'leaders' of the gang & for a few weeks have done exactly as you describe, had a bit of a stand off every morning, but after a 10 min small sqabble aways settled down. But now the tail feathers have grown & the comb too, very beautiful they'll be, but it looks like they're boys!! Its difficult as I'm fairly new to this & previously the chooks I had were definately girls (already older birds when I got them) but I'm positive now, sadly. I live too close to neighbours & they wouldn't welcome the crowing once it starts
Thanks Girlracer, I will look at the feathers & see if they're points/rounded to confirm.

 

[Tim]

It should be clear from the comb / wattles. These are small on hens but much bigger on cockerels. By now, they would be crowing like mad too.

Out of the 50 or so birds I have at the moment, I have around 8 eggs a day = this is due to the daylight hours being short. In the spring, they will start to lay like mad.

Think what is natural in nature - wild birds lay most of their eggs in Spring when they breed, although we have created these wonderful layers, they still have this natural instinct to lay the most during the spring and into summer when the chances of the young surviving are the greatest. It's all down to the petuatory gland in the eye that triggers egg laying with enough light.

Commercially of course, lighting is used to keep hens laying into winter - but then they are replaced ever 12 - 18 months when they are no longer economically viable...