Why doesn’t my rooster have any rooster feathers?

[yenkia]

Hello! So about 8 months ago i bought 2 porcelain d’uccle chicks. They both turned out to be roosters, lol, and i rehomed one. This one, i thought was a hen for the longest time until he started crowing. He only crows once a week or so, but he has the big red comb to prove it’s a boy. I’m thinking since his crows are very quiet (i can barely hear it 20 feet away) I can keep him for a little while longer.

I’m wondering why he doesn’t have any rooster feathers. No saddle feathers and no hackle feathers. My last rooster had these already by the time i rehomed him, and he was only about 2 months old. I know some roosters come in slowly, but it’s been awhile and he hasn’t grown ANYTHING. He still has the rounded feathers with white circles at the end. He has maybe 5 or 6 sharp neck feathers but they don’t have the coloring or the thinness of my other rooster.

images included below.

 

[nuthatched]

It could be a sterile pullet.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Could be henny feathered. It's actually a condition that creates roosters with female feathering. It's a trait seen in Sebrights as an example.

 

[NatJ]

This one, i thought was a hen for the longest time until he started crowing.

Has this bird laid any eggs? Some hens do crow. You might just have a crowing hen.

Could be henny feathered. It's actually a condition that creates roosters with female feathering. It's a trait seen in Sebrights as an example.

I would think a crowing hen is more likely than a hen-feathered d'Uccle rooster, but either one is definitely a possibility.

 

[Birdinhand]

I’ve had a hen that crowed, rooster feather and all, then layed an egg and stopped crowing and feathers grew out more hen like. Some birds have a confused gender, hormones are bonkers or something. Maybe give it some more time and see if it lays an egg, which might kick the proper hormones back into balance.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Has this bird laid any eggs? Some hens do crow. You might just have a crowing hen.


I would think a crowing hen is more likely than a hen-feathered d'Uccle rooster, but either one is definitely a possibility.

That comb, & face structure is definitely male. A D'uccle pullet/hen even hatchery stock have smaller combs.

 

[TaylorGlade]

I see some incoming saddle feathers. It looks male to me. Maybe just a slow developer. I have one like that. He never crows at all - and my husband swore he was a hen for 10 months. Then, in November, the bird got injured. I had to bring him in the house to give him a bath. It was late - and cold - and I didn't want to stick him back outside to freeze while wet.

The next morning, he woke me up crowing in the pen.

However, he hasn't crowed since - and never mounts a hen. And doesn't look like my other rooster, but he is definitely a male.

Of course, I don't have D'uccles. Are these female feathers on that kind of bird?

 

[MysteryChicken]

I see some incoming saddle feathers. It looks male to me. Maybe just a slow developer. I have one like that. He never crows at all - and my husband swore he was a hen for 10 months. Then, in November, the bird got injured. I had to bring him in the house to give him a bath. It was late - and cold - and I didn't want to stick him back outside to freeze while wet.

The next morning, he woke me up crowing in the pen.

However, he hasn't crowed since - and never mounts a hen. And doesn't look like my other rooster, but he is definitely a male.

Of course, I don't have D'uccles. Are these female feathers on that kind of bird?

View attachment 3776440

The area you circled is Male Saddle feathers, which should be on a normal feathered male.

 

[NatJ]

I see some incoming saddle feathers. It looks male to me....
Of course, I don't have D'uccles. Are these female feathers on that kind of bird?

View attachment 3776440

Is that the photo where you see saddle feathers coming in?

That photo was posted by @MysteryChicken as an example of a normal male Porcelain d'Uccle. It is not the same bird as the puzzling one pictured in the first post of this thread. (Notice that the photo where you circled the feathers says "MysteryChicken" on it, while the original poster has a username of yenkia)

 

[yenkia]

Has this bird laid any eggs? Some hens do crow. You might just have a crowing hen.


I would think a crowing hen is more likely than a hen-feathered d'Uccle rooster, but either one is definitely a possibility.

He will also sometimes do the egg song, like if he gets a really high place and is feeling it, he’ll start singing it.

No eggs, i don’t think it’s a hen. Hens don’t have this comb. I’m assuming he’s just taking awhile, so i won’t really press too hard about it until he’s about a year old.

He is a mystery