21 week old chicken, hope it is not a cockerel...

[WizardsUnited]

Hello all!
I have three 21 week old youngster chickens that I recently added to my small, 7 chicken flock, and they were "sexed" at a day old, so they were all supposed to be female. I have one that I've suspected might be male... But when 9 to 10 weeks passed with no sign of crowing, I thought I was in the clear.

Things that make me think my chicken might be a cockerel:
Bigger than other chickens of same age (but they are different breeds)
Very friendly for the first few weeks, then got skittish
Bigger comb and wattle than chickens of same age
Tail feathers were curved (but then fell out)
Yesterday, I heard the first crow. I was inside, so I am not sure which chicken it was, but this is the only one I have any suspicion of being male.

What do I look for to make sure? I live in a city that allows hens, but not roosters, so I need to be sure. I don't want to be heartless, but the purpose of these chickens is to provide me eggs, so roosters are not a good fit...

 

[Sagey_7878]

It is 200% a cockerel! Sorry about that, you should start looking for a new home for him. He has very pronounced sickle feathers, saddle and hackle feathers.

 

[cavemanrich]

Sexing regular chickens is only 94% accurate. (That is at best odds, and some agree that 80% is also accepted)
You may have to ether rehome, or consume/process if it is indeed a rooster. There are rare instances that a hen will crow, and lay eggs. Not sure how you would deal with that if officials came and notified you "no rooster policy"
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Super duper male. Sorry fren. Vent sexing is only so accurate.

When looking for a male at that age, look to hackle and saddle feathers (neck and end of the butt just before the tail). On a hen they will be normal. On a roo they will be pointed and thin. There's also a difference in posture/stance and sickle feathers (long curved tail feathers). Big comb and wattles are also indicative. And of course, crowing.

On some birds red shoulders/hackles can indicate a roo.

On younger birds, a rough attitude and a face that reddens long before the others is indicitive of a boy.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry, but it is a cockerel.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Sorry but I agree, he's absolutely a cockerel.

 

[Cyprus]

That is so obviously a Male.

By that age it is strikingly obvious. You're looking for shinier plumage in the saddle and hackle, sickle feathers and pointed saddle and hackle feathers.


A simple google search of rooster will lead you to examples of obvious males, many of which look just like yours.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

500% cockerel.. sorry about that! Welcome to BYC! Glad you could join us!

 

[FortCluck]

I had a cockerel that didn't crow until 5 months and squatted like a pullet, it didn't get a comb until last week at 5 month and 3 weeks.

I'm hoping you can find him a new home or process him if you want a nice family dinner.

I never trust sexing anymore because even professionals at hatcheries make mistakes that's how I got mine and they claim they're 99% accurate but humans make mistakes.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

No doubts that's a cockerel. Sorry....