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The half-speckled one looks a lot like our Rhode Island Reds did at that age. The speckled feathers went away as they grew, and they turned into the two monster roosters we have now. You may be right about the white one. That's some big feet for a 3-week-old chick. Watch and see if it starts chest bumping with any of the others. That may indicate another rooster, too. Here's a link if you want to stare at some photos: White Chicken Breeds . If that's a Leghorn rooster, just think Foghorn Leghorn (Looney Toons). They get enormous. The one that's all speckled I have no clue about. The black one with really black eyes is almost certainly an Australorp or certainly has very dominant features. If the legs are black too, it's close enough to be a show chicken. The black one with brown feathers on its head/face may not be Australorp, though it could be a cross. One of our Australorps had a drooped tail (Torey) and the other's tail stood up so much we thought it was a rooster too. That one we called Road Runner. The grandkids named all but two, which Deb named after Chinese chicken dishes (Butter, Lemon, etc.). It's that Aussie humor thing. They just both happened to be roosters and destined for the cook pot.

You can pick up chicks (the feathered ones, not the human ones) by the skin on the nape of the neck or by the feet as another indicator of gender. Most human chicks object to this type of treatment, though. I would say more about this activity, but I would likely offend someone's sensibilities. If the [feathered] chick curls up into a fetal ball when you hold it by the nape or feet, it SHOULD be a pullet. If it arches it's back and straightens to extend its neck and legs, it's likely a rooster.Some say don't pick them up by the nape because it's cruel, but that's exactly what a mother hen will do if she needs to move/control one of them. They rarely carry their chick and never by its feet, but sometimes, they act just like little humans and have to be corrected. It's pretty rare to see, but if the clucking doesn't work, she'll go grab them. This method is not scientific, but old timers here swear by it. I remember seeing another way on Dirty Jobs (Mike Rowe) but can't remember what it was. I'll see if I can find a link to the video.

Dunno how you'll fare getting rid of a rooster, but I'm thinking you may have to send the missus and Tilda shopping one day. We've had ZERO response trying to give ours away. Deb asks nearly every customer that comes through Tractor Supply buying chicken supplies. They're huge, beautiful birds, but I understand why no one wants them. They're noisy as hell (especially when they're crowing in stereo) and large roosters can be quite brutal to the hens. Typically, you need at least 10-12 hens per rooster. We have two roosters and 6 hens, so I'm left with little choice in the matter since I cannot rehome them. They've spent their entire lives in a cage, and I'm not one to turn animals loose in the wild that don't belong there. I've got quite a bit invested in raising them, so they won't go to waste. I just don't like doing what's gotta be done to a named pet. Makaila's come 'round about it though and understands. Even more so when one of them attacked her last week. She's the only one that they will let pick them for a cuddle. I spend a lot more time with them than she does, but perhaps it's because I flapped my jacket at one of them when he started a dominance dance. They don't like me in my winter jacket, at all.
 
RoadRoach said:
The half-speckled one looks a lot like our Rhode Island Reds did at that age. The speckled feathers went away as they grew, and they turned into the two monster roosters we have now. You may be right about the white one. That's some big feet for a 3-week-old chick. Watch and see if it starts chest bumping with any of the others. That may indicate another rooster, too. Here's a link if you want to stare at some photos: White Chicken Breeds . If that's a Leghorn rooster, just think Foghorn Leghorn (Looney Toons). They get enormous. The one that's all speckled I have no clue about. The black one with really black eyes is almost certainly an Australorp or certainly has very dominant features. If the legs are black too, it's close enough to be a show chicken. The black one with brown feathers on its head/face may not be Australorp, though it could be a cross. One of our Australorps had a drooped tail (Torey) and the other's tail stood up so much we thought it was a rooster too. That one we called Road Runner. The grandkids named all but two, which Deb named after Chinese chicken dishes (Butter, Lemon, etc.). It's that Aussie humor thing. They just both happened to be roosters and destined for the cook pot.

You can pick up chicks (the feathered ones, not the human ones) by the skin on the nape of the neck or by the feet as another indicator of gender. Most human chicks object to this type of treatment, though. I would say more about this activity, but I would likely offend someone's sensibilities. If the [feathered] chick curls up into a fetal ball when you hold it by the nape or feet, it SHOULD be a pullet. If it arches it's back and straightens to extend its neck and legs, it's likely a rooster.Some say don't pick them up by the nape because it's cruel, but that's exactly what a mother hen will do if she needs to move/control one of them. They rarely carry their chick and never by its feet, but sometimes, they act just like little humans and have to be corrected. It's pretty rare to see, but if the clucking doesn't work, she'll go grab them. This method is not scientific, but old timers here swear by it. I remember seeing another way on Dirty Jobs (Mike Rowe) but can't remember what it was. I'll see if I can find a link to the video.

Dunno how you'll fare getting rid of a rooster, but I'm thinking you may have to send the missus and Tilda shopping one day. We've had ZERO response trying to give ours away. Deb asks nearly every customer that comes through Tractor Supply buying chicken supplies. They're huge, beautiful birds, but I understand why no one wants them. They're noisy as hell (especially when they're crowing in stereo) and large roosters can be quite brutal to the hens. Typically, you need at least 10-12 hens per rooster. We have two roosters and 6 hens, so I'm left with little choice in the matter since I cannot rehome them. They've spent their entire lives in a cage, and I'm not one to turn animals loose in the wild that don't belong there. I've got quite a bit invested in raising them, so they won't go to waste. I just don't like doing what's gotta be done to a named pet. Makaila's come 'round about it though and understands. Even more so when one of them attacked her last week. She's the only one that they will let pick them for a cuddle. I spend a lot more time with them than she does, but perhaps it's because I flapped my jacket at one of them when he started a dominance dance. They don't like me in my winter jacket, at all.
Click to expand...
Just rename them: Stu and Soop.
 
You need some snake tongs @GFHomebrew
Like these
Screenshot_20250204-082932.jpg

(I got the longest one they had. I'm scared of snakes)
 
Nice to hear your voice again Ben! Did you lose any chicks or eggs?
 
What kind of snake? Venomous?
 
Donoroto said:
What kind of snake? Venomous?
Click to expand...
The big wiggly kind.

@GFHomebrew I saw the video on your channel when you posted it. Your chicks are growing FAST!

IMG_3902.jpeg


Here's a photo of Makaila with Lemon. He is the smaller of the two roosters (that were supposed to be pullets), weighing in at about 8 or 9 pounds and he's also the more docile one. He actually let me pet him today while we were cleaning the coop. He gets quite docile when Butter isn't agitating him. They're about 6 months old now. Butter is a bit more psychotic and doesn't like to be held. Oddly, both of them would run and jump in my hand when they were little chicks. Worse than a couple hormonal teen-age boys now. The next day, Makaila picked up Lemon and was holding him. She accidentally pinched him a little bit which made him struggle and squawk a bit. Butter went nuts and attacked her. The two of them together were being absolutely brutal to the hens. Can't put up with that. We might introduce one back in with the girls when we get a few more, but 6 hens is not enough to handle a big rooster like this, certainly not two of them.

Butter's getting a new residence soon. Found someone that wanted a Rhode Island Red rooster to breed. Can't think of a better specimen than Butter, but the older he gets the more aggressive. He's gotta be at least 10 pounds now. He's a big boy. He paces and gives Makaila the skank eye when she's holding Lemon like this.
 
Well fun looking through these posts. Not much gardening here yet still cold and snow on the ground. But gearing up for sugaring season. Couple weeks maybe, Not enough days daytime above freezing yet. On another note I've been playing with a fruit dehydrator I received for Christmas. I gave up on my vegetable garden and concentrate on my fruit and berries. That keeps me occupied enough not to mention don't have to stick around as much. Fruit doesn't need as much babysitting. I did put in irrigation to the garden but then I needed to weed more. Did do irrigation in the vineyard and need to add some more rows this year. Eggs I get from my neighbors
 
Zambi said:
My harvest of this morning
View attachment 31315
Obviousy I did not harvest the matchbox :)
Gotta find ways to preserve the beans and eggplants.
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We used to cut up the eggplant and freeze it. Probably not your best option where you live, though. Freezers don't like unreliable power. The green beans we'd can. Blanch 'em, put 'em in a mason jar and fill with water just enough to cover the beans. Then either conventional canning boiler or pressure cooker, get 'em hot enough to pull a vacuum in the jar. Takes about 10-20 minutes, but you might want to check that time.
 
Thanks Roach
I got a freezer, but it's pretty full already.
Most of the country is on 4 hours power per day. I'm off grid and have 24 hours clean solar power every day :)

I'm doing a good job in eating the beans so far and just started something eggplant & Italian & olive oil ...

I've banched and frozen beans, but it does not compare to the fresh stuff
Still a bit scared of canning
 
Zambi said:
Thanks Roach
I got a freezer, but it's pretty full already.
Most of the country is on 4 hours power per day. I'm off grid and have 24 hours clean solar power every day :)

I'm doing a good job in eating the beans so far and just started something eggplant & Italian & olive oil ...

I've banched and frozen beans, but it does not compare to the fresh stuff
Still a bit scared of canning
Click to expand...
We blanched and froze peas and butter beans (limas). We'd blanch corn just enough to sterilize it, then cut it off the cob with a cutter that was fond of removing the ends of your fingers too. We grew enough that we'd put some away dry as well and then take that to a local grist mill to have it ground for corn meal. I kinda miss the days of having all that wonderful home grown produce, but I sure don't miss all the work it took to have it.
 
I did the blanching with the beans last year, and I was not really impressed.
I'm going to try some pickled green beans now :)
And maybe dry some (that then will sit in a jar never to be used)..
Some go into the dogfood as well
 
And maybe dry some (that then will sit in a jar never to be used)..

I canned up a dozen jars of tomatoes last year. Had to buy the jars and all.
I really don't ever use canned tomatoes so there they sit.
 
west1m said:
And maybe dry some (that then will sit in a jar never to be used)..

I canned up a dozen jars of tomatoes last year. Had to buy the jars and all.
I really don't ever use canned tomatoes so there they sit.
Click to expand...
If ya ever make homemade spaghetti sauce from scratch, home canned 'maters are da bomb! Beats Ragu any day of the week.
 
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