Is this young rooster behavior?

Date sort Score sort
joymac

joymac

Songster
12 Years
Sep 17, 2011
114
35
204
Southeastern NC
I'm very new to chickens so don't laugh, ok? I have a young (3 month) blue Maran that I've posted about in other forums (he/she has fused toes, was growing slowly but has recently caught up with the others, then started developing a wattle so I've questioned his/her gender). I think this post will end the my questions about his/her gender but I thought I'd throw it out. This chick is the friendliest to me of all my little flock of six Marans and Ameraucanas but today I was showing my sis-in-law how they've grown and picked up one and told sis that I wasn't sure if it was a he or she yet. When I put that one down little "Dixie" rushed over to him and all of a sudden flared out all of his/her neck feathers in a perfect circle. I've never seen this before, so what do you think, is Dixie a Dwayne?

 
My roosters do this is a sign of dominance but also a sign of his willingness to show he is there to protect his hens...with that said........I have a bunch of hens that do that too...lol

I have a hard time deciding if that is a roo or a hen, but it sure is beautiful!! good luck in identifying the gender :)

Ema
 
thumbnail.aspx


Above is best image I could find that does not violate site rules

Hackles as shown form circle as described by OP. Some say it makes displayer appear larger although in domestic chickens, game chickens included, the meaning may have been lost. With red jungle fowl it can still be a purely display function without actual physical contact or be a precursor to physical contact. I am pretty sure the birds can see difference between hackles of other birds that we can not see owing to the way we perceive colors differently.
 
She really has NO tail feathers yet, my other two Marans have a wedge type tail. This one was slow to grow, slow to feather out, and the last one to learn how to use the ramp but the first to greet me. She's special
love.gif


tec27 said:
Looks like a dixie. It has no "extravagant" tail feathers which is usually common in roosters.
Click to expand...
 
I think that's an immature cockerel. Not because of the behavior (both sexes flare and squabble) but because the wattles are very bright for 3 months of age. A pullet gets red, growing wattles & comb as her body nears point of lay but your bird is a little young for that. So, it is either an early-to-develop pullet or it's a young cockerel. ALSO, this is the age when saddle feathers begin to emerge on cockerels so the lack of them can mean nothing more than that they haven't come in yet (not that I can say they aren't -- a view from above is much better for that). If you can hold him/her, part the feathers on the lower back and look for new feathers coming in that are shiny and pointed on the ends. If you see those feathers, it's a cockerel.
 
debid said:
I think that's an immature cockerel. Not because of the behavior (both sexes flare and squabble) but because the wattles are very bright for 3 months of age. A pullet gets red, growing wattles & comb as her body nears point of lay but your bird is a little young for that. So, it is either an early-to-develop pullet or it's a young cockerel. ALSO, this is the age when saddle feathers begin to emerge on cockerels so the lack of them can mean nothing more than that they haven't come in yet (not that I can say they aren't -- a view from above is much better for that). If you can hold him/her, part the feathers on the lower back and look for new feathers coming in that are shiny and pointed on the ends. If you see those feathers, it's a cockerel.
Click to expand...


Would these copper-colored neck feathers count as cockerel feathers? They just popped out this week. Is it all over except for the crowing?




 

Similar threads

breadlady
    • Like
Young rooster behavior
Replies
1
Views
506
sourland
sourland
L
    • Like
Rooster behavior
Replies
3
Views
135
GirlsHuntToo
GirlsHuntToo
S
Hen open mouth breathing
Replies
2
Views
98
Swampy_9
S
H
    • Love
Strange but loving rooster behavior
Replies
5
Views
317
talkinboutchickens
talkinboutchickens
LuciferRoo
Pullet standing on top of injured young rooster
Replies
4
Views
827
LuciferRoo
LuciferRoo

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom