Normal Pecking Order Behavior?

[TinaRew]

Could 'she' be a rooster? Looks like hackle and sickle feathers. May need others to weigh in here. But would help explain the size difference and aggression.

Oh my I’m not even sure what hackle and sickle feathers are. I’ll have to look this up.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Oh my I’m not even sure what hackle and sickle feathers are. I’ll have to look this up.

Yes look it up...it's the feathers over the back by the tail and around the neck. Males will have pointy feathers and females will not.

But in any case, don't give up on him/her yet. You won't know for certain until she lays an egg. Or if 'he' crows...although some hens will crow but usually not at an early age (I have an egg-laying Dominique hen that 'crows' occasionally but sounds nothing like a rooster).

(I did read the breeder's response to you. I don't know anything about genetics but it sounds interesting. Lavender Ameraucana is at the top of my wish list. So this is very educational for me too for future purposes.)

Good luck!

 

[TinaRew]

Yes look it up...it's the feathers over the back by the tail and around the neck. Males will have pointy feathers and females will not.

But in any case, don't give up on him/her yet. You won't know for certain until she lays an egg. Or if 'he' crows...although some hens will crow but usually not at an early age (I have an egg-laying Dominique hen that 'crows' occasionally but sounds nothing like a rooster).

(I did read the breeder's response to you. I don't know anything about genetics but it sounds interesting. Lavender Ameraucana is at the top of my wish list. So this is very educational for me too for future purposes.)

Good luck!

I’m really really hoping it’s a hen. We can’t have a rooster here and it will devastate us If we have to rehome her. I looked up pics but it’s hard to tell - I’m gonna take a closer look at her feathers in the light tomorrow. A lot of her hackle feathers seem to be newer growing in, so I’ll need to look better.

 

[3KillerBs]

Am I looking for a specific type of feather in those saddle feathers?

I'm not sure I'm following the breeder's email correctly, but it's impossible to create a barring-based sexlink that's good for more than a single generation.

Lavender is also one of the colors on which it can be impossible or nearly impossible to see either the headspot in the chick down or the barring in the adult feathers.

 

[TinaRew]

View attachment 3301749

I'm not sure I'm following the breeder's email correctly, but it's impossible to create a barring-based sexlink that's good for more than a single generation.

Lavender is also one of the colors on which it can be impossible or nearly impossible to see either the headspot in the chick down or the barring in the adult feathers.

 

[sourland]

It can be hard to tell with lavenders, they can have some funky feathering, but I'd say that is a cockerel.

That was my immediate fear.

 

[catmamma]

Were you able to figure out if it's a hen or not? Crossing fingers!