7 months old - hen or rooster?

[TheOddOneOut]

All of the other chickens lay an egg every single day. Every single one of them. It is almost December and all the other chickens in the flock still lay an egg every single day. So the feed is not the issue or my other chickens wouldn't be egg laying champions. Cracked corn is also good for winter because it burns slowly and it produces alot of heat. Many old timers swear by cracked corn, some even feed their chickens nothing but cracked corn and scraps. Personally I think that is excessive and variety is important to any diet, so I limit it to 1/3 of the main feed. But I know that isn't why this chicken does not lay.

I suspect this chicken is a rooster. They say only Buckeye roosters get that shiny green on their tails. The tail feathers on Speckles look very different than the other chickens.

Also, your chicken is definitely female.
Lots of birds get shiny green
.

 

[ccoscina]

Cracked corn does have its benefits, but you are feeding them an insane amount. Personal opinions and facts are different things.

Sure, your birds like it. Sure, you like variety. But it is like giving them sticks of butter.
If you want to go swear by the old ways, find a time machine and go back to the 16th century or something. Everyone was misinformed there too.

You're entitled to your opinion although this has nothing to do with my question which was about my chickens gender. I get way more eggs than I can eat and I give away all the extra eggs for free. I actually refuse to charge people money for my eggs because they are priceless, so they aren't for sale. People can only receive my eggs if I decide to bless them. So my concern had nothing to do with the fact that this hen does not lay, i just wanted to point out that it neither lays nor crows and therefore I am confused about my birds gender. Perhaps I need gender therapy to cope with all of this gender dysphoria...

The back of this chicken is also rather wide, not tapered. The body structure is almost identical to the other buckeye roosters I had. One of those roosters I ate because he was violent and the other I gave to a no-kill rescue farm for abandoned animals. And btw the guy at the rescue farm feeds them nothing but cracked corn and food scraps. He gets lots of food from local grocery stores because he runs food banks and soup kitchens for the poor, so he gives them plenty of fresh produce as well and they do just fine.

 

[sourland]

The bird is a stunted pullet. Either congenital problems or limited in feed intake by flock mates.

 

[swamphiker]

Your chicken is female. The lack of pointed saddle feathers are a dead giveaway.

 

[-Flash-]

It is female. I'm sorry but please stop feeding so much corn.

 

[ccoscina]

The bird is a stunted pullet. Either congenital problems or limited in feed intake by flock mates.

Yes the other chickens instantly peck it if it tries to access the main feeder. After I taught it to use perches it refused to come down off its perch because it was always hiding from the other chickens. Back then I always had to hand feed it. I have helped Speckles become more confident and now it eats from the small feeder inside the coop when the others are busy out in the run. Unfortunately when it goes out to the run it is bullied by the other girls. I eventually began punishing them for bullying and now they are nicer when I am present. So when I arrive Speckles quickly runs outside to get some water from the main waterer then runs back in. Speckles is a work in progress.

Again, the other girls lay tons of eggs so I don't believe the feed is really all that bad. I think you read too much stuff on the internet and just believe what you read. I'm unvaccinated because I go based on my own experience. My chickens are happy and healthy and lay me plenty of tasty eggs. Sure, corn might be sort of a treat but I'd be lying if I said my own diet didn't have a fair share of fats and sugars in it. I love butter, I love heavy cream, I love pizza, I love pasta, I love cheeseburgers, I love deep fried food, I love BBQ ribs. So I'll let my girls eat what makes them happy! I don't run a commercial operation and they lay way more eggs than I can possibly eat.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Speckles is a pullet as the others have said small comb and wattles, no pointy saddle feathers. There is no crowing because it is a she.

I also agree with the others on the nutrition.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Female.