# Thank you for that "helpful" answer! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 24, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109 "2016-01-24T20:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/1 "2016-01-24T20:46:55Z")
I am part of a forum that centers on the feeding and care of chickens (primarily those people are keeping as pets). This [Rooster](https://www.flickr.com/photos/99746822@N03/23960935694/in/dateposted/)(Barred Rock named JoJo) and this [Hen](http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/7/7a/900x900px-LL-7a0b2ebf_SAM_0092.jpeg) (Silkie named Sponge) created [these](http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/5/53/900x900px-LL-53a02995_SAM_0496.jpeg) [two](http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/d/de/900x900px-LL-de7f821b_SAM_0499.jpeg) named Smidge and Smudge. One part of the forum is for people to ask what gender, breed or color their chick or chicken is. I asked what the gender (they think they are both pullets (young females)) and what color they are. I got this as a reply: > [@](#): > > They’re mutts, mutts ain’t got a real color. :dubious: Thank you, I had no idea I had translucent chickens!:smack::rolleyes: The posters, over all, are very helpful when it comes to medical and feed related questions, but some posters are so caught up in “breeds” and the preservation of them that it gets vexing at times. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/2 "2016-01-24T20:57:06Z")
I couldn’t tell you the sexes, but since you have the chickens, I don’t quite get why you need someone to tell you the colors (fireplace-ash grey and rusty-used-motor-oil brown, btw). ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/3 "2016-01-24T20:58:57Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I couldn’t tell you the sexes, but since you have the chickens, I don’t quite get why you need someone to tell you the colors (fireplace-ash grey and rusty-used-motor-oil brown, btw). Looked like Sunday dinner to me. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/4 "2016-01-24T21:06:55Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > One part of the forum is for people to ask what gender, breed or color their chick or chicken is. I asked what the gender (they think they are both pullets (young females)) and what color they are. When they’re newly hatched, you might be able to tell the sex by the length of specific types of wing feathers: [How to tell baby chickens sex male/ female](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxFKGm2UujI) I’ve done this in an animal science lab and we got most correct. And since it’s the Pit: Fuck those guys. ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/5 "2016-01-24T21:08:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I couldn’t tell you the sexes, but since you have the chickens, I don’t quite get why you need someone to tell you the colors (fireplace-ash grey and rusty-used-motor-oil brown, btw). Just curiosity. Chickens come in a TON of colors. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_chicken\_colours](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chicken_colours) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/6 "2016-01-24T21:28:01Z")
You got the roosters, the hens, and the chickens. Who is having sex with who? I don’t get it! ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/7 "2016-01-24T21:59:18Z")
…And why do I imagine **Brodi** (who, coincidentally, shares the same name as my dog, though Brody can spell it correctly) dressed up as Colonel Sanders, with his pants around his ankles, touching himself while thinking of pullets, until he finally shouts “it’s finger-lickin’ good” at that magical moment? ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/8 "2016-01-24T22:55:35Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You got the roosters, the hens, and the chickens. Who is having sex with who? I don’t get it! [Don’t forget this guy.](http://i1.wp.com/vulturehound.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/203chickenlover.jpg?resize=590%2C330) [Chickenlover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickenlover) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/9 "2016-01-24T23:07:25Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > Thank you, I had no idea I had translucent chickens!:smack::rolleyes: “Translucent” means having semi-opacity, not lack of color. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/10 "2016-01-24T23:11:02Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You got the roosters, the hens, and the chickens. Who is having sex with who? I don’t get it! They’re all chickens. The rooster has sex with all of them. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/11 "2016-01-24T23:13:15Z")
If you can pullet, it’s probable a male. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/12 "2016-01-24T23:21:18Z")
Gorgeous chooks, **Brodi**. Unfortunately when it comes to backyard chicken forums you have to take everything with a grain of salt, give higher weight to replies that are formed in complete sentences with few grammatical and spelling errors, and ignore pretty much everything you read (but enjoy all the pictures you see.) It’s pretty frustrating, I know. When you finally find a poster that knows his or her stuff stick close by and look for those replies. FWIW I’m pretty confident in the goons who post in the backyard chicken thread at Something Awful. There are several competent folks there who are amusing and who also don’t suffer fools. Good luck. Bok! ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/13 "2016-01-25T00:57:30Z")
> [@Fiveroptic](#): > > Gorgeous chooks, **Brodi**. Unfortunately when it comes to backyard chicken forums you have to\*\* take everything with a grain of salt,\*\* give higher weight to replies that are formed in complete sentences with few grammatical and spelling errors, and ignore pretty much everything you read (but enjoy all the pictures you see.) It’s pretty frustrating, I know. When you finally find a poster that knows his or her stuff stick close by and look for those replies. > > FWIW I’m pretty confident in the goons who post in the backyard chicken thread at Something Awful. There are several competent folks there who are amusing and who also don’t suffer fools. Good luck. Bok! Oh, how I know what you mean! Bozo just replied to another post I made claiming the feed I feed (Purina Flock Raiser) is “crap” and that he/she would rather feed their chickens “dirt” then a Purina brand feed. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/14 "2016-01-25T01:55:16Z")
There are only two chicken colors I’m familiar with – white and dark. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/15 "2016-01-25T03:21:09Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > Oh, how I know what you mean! > > Bozo just replied to another post I made claiming the feed I feed (Purina Flock Raiser) is “crap” and that he/she would rather feed their chickens “dirt” then a Purina brand feed. :rolleyes: Yeah, and the fact that your flock is thriving won’t sway him because [ignorant reasons]. Seriously, check out the thread at Something Awful. I read all five million pages right after we bought our coop and first chicks and it was both hilarious and invaluable. That’s still the first thread I go to when I open that forum. ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/16 "2016-01-25T03:27:05Z")
> [@Fiveroptic](#): > > Yeah, and the fact that your flock is thriving won’t sway him because [ignorant reasons]. Seriously, check out the thread at Something Awful. I read all five million pages right after we bought our coop and first chicks and it was both hilarious and invaluable. That’s still the first thread I go to when I open that forum. Sane people posting on the internet; I thought this was the only place that miracle occurred!:eek:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/17 "2016-01-25T04:02:14Z")
The sanity ends when you venture out of that specific thread. Then again I’m not sure chicken owners are all that stable to begin with but we do have a lot of fun anecdotes to make small talk less awkward at parties. So there’s that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/18 "2016-01-25T04:26:27Z")
> [@Fiveroptic](#): > > The sanity ends when you venture out of that specific thread. Then again I’m not sure chicken owners are all that stable to begin with but we do have a lot of fun anecdotes to make small talk less awkward at parties. So there’s that. 🙂 How sane can anyone group be who collects small fowl like they’re Pokemon?🆒 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/19 "2016-01-25T04:41:31Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > How sane can anyone group be who collects small fowl like they’re Pokemon?🆒 Hopefully sane enough not to take that simile any further. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109/20 "2016-01-25T06:13:29Z")
> [@Fiveroptic](#): > > The sanity ends when you venture out of that specific thread. Then again I’m not sure chicken owners are all that stable to begin with but we do have a lot of fun anecdotes to make small talk less awkward at parties. So there’s that. 🙂 So, interrupting the conversation about global politics to fix us each in turn with a penetrating gaze and whispering “I…know things. About chickens…” makes small talk _less_ awkward at parties? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-that-helpful-answer/744109.md?page=2)