I've gotten very good at answering the "pullet or cockerel?" question myself, thanks to you guys. I have 4 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes that I got from a local breeder. One is no doubt a pullet, the others are cockerels. They got bright red faces with big combs and wattles long before the pullet did...actually, the pullet still has very little color to her face. No crows and no eggs still, at 6 months old!!!
Today I decided that I'd like to have these cockerels butchered and processed when my parents get back from their vacation next week. So, probably next weekend. They'll be about 25 weeks old. I was picking them up to bring them inside and weigh them, one at a time. Got the first two pretty easily, they're not that flighty. The biggest is 5lbs, the second one was 4lbs 14oz. Went to pick up the third one and had to have my herding dog help me a bit as he's a little flighty. Managed to grab him by the tail, and I held on tight. He started squaking and trying to fly away, but I didn't let go. I had his entire tail in my hand, so I wasn't hurting him at all. I placed my hand on his back to gently push him to the ground so that I could more easily pick him up. And then, he squatted.
I'm not joking. I was positive this chicken was a cockerel. I mean, look at these long, pointy, rooster-y neck feathers and these long, pointy, rooster-y saddle feathers. (click the picture to enlarge it so you can better see his feathers)
Saddle feathers:
I tried to make him squat again after I brought him back outside after I weighed him, but he wouldn't. But, I have PROOF that he squatted when I went to pick him up! Pictures! He had put his wings back against his body by the time I got my phone out to take a picture, but he had been doing the submissive squat identical to how my girls do it.
Or should I not be calling him a "he" anymore? I am so confused right now!! He looks like a cockerel...but squatted for me when "he" was freaked out.
What's your take on this?
Today I decided that I'd like to have these cockerels butchered and processed when my parents get back from their vacation next week. So, probably next weekend. They'll be about 25 weeks old. I was picking them up to bring them inside and weigh them, one at a time. Got the first two pretty easily, they're not that flighty. The biggest is 5lbs, the second one was 4lbs 14oz. Went to pick up the third one and had to have my herding dog help me a bit as he's a little flighty. Managed to grab him by the tail, and I held on tight. He started squaking and trying to fly away, but I didn't let go. I had his entire tail in my hand, so I wasn't hurting him at all. I placed my hand on his back to gently push him to the ground so that I could more easily pick him up. And then, he squatted.
I'm not joking. I was positive this chicken was a cockerel. I mean, look at these long, pointy, rooster-y neck feathers and these long, pointy, rooster-y saddle feathers. (click the picture to enlarge it so you can better see his feathers)
Saddle feathers:
I tried to make him squat again after I brought him back outside after I weighed him, but he wouldn't. But, I have PROOF that he squatted when I went to pick him up! Pictures! He had put his wings back against his body by the time I got my phone out to take a picture, but he had been doing the submissive squat identical to how my girls do it.
Or should I not be calling him a "he" anymore? I am so confused right now!! He looks like a cockerel...but squatted for me when "he" was freaked out.
What's your take on this?
