8 week old pullet crowing? PLEASE HELP!!!! WORRIED CHICKEN OWNER

[flockoffour]

I own four chickens (3 Polish and one Silke, all bantams) from which I got at our local feed store when they were a day old. They were supposed to come sexed, so I wasn't too worried about getting a roo, although it was always in the back of my mind that I may get one. Right now, my chickens are 8 weeks old, and I just came back from vacation, but my neighbors who were watching them said that they herd one of them trying to crow. They said it was my biggest polish (Irene). I have only been home for a couple of days, but I haven't herd her make any noise, so I thought that maybe she got scarred or one of the other chicks jumped on her and caught her by surprise, since she is a polish and they are a more timid breed . But my mother just called me a half an hour ago, and said that she was making more strange noises, like she was trying to crow. She isn't the dominant chicken, and is always very calm and kind, but she does look a little bit different from my other two polish. Her crest isn't in "afro" shape really, which i know isn't a very good thing to base her rooster possibility off of, but her crest feathers are more or less growing everywhere if that makes sense. Also, she is already geting red where her waddles are. Does this mean she is or could strongly be a roo??? Could my Irene be an Ian??? PLEASE HELP ME!

 

[Lyns85]

Some breeds will start to crow earlier on. Our appenzellers that we've just hatched will start crowing at 6 weeks if there's a roo! I'd say Irene is an Ian going off your description

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

You'll probably need to upload a few good photos to help people.

I have 6 pullets and one of my black sex links started making strange noises around 6 weeks (I think, I know it was earlier than 8). There were times were I seriously thought she was trying to be a goose or turkey.

Are you allowed to have roosters or are you going to need to re-home? I think you have a bit more time to find out for sure

Good luck!

 

[Kelsie2290]

You'll need to get some pictures for people to make good guesses, especially take some close head shots. From your description, Irene is probably an Ian. Polish seem to start crowing pretty early, and it would be odd for a pullet to have much if any red at that age.

 

[Eggcessive]

The pictures I have seen of Polish roosters have much more pointy feathers on the head than my hens who have the rounded feathers.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I don't know what sex Irene or Ian may be. New chicken people need to remember that when sexing day old non sex linked chicks that the sex of the peeps you receive is still a WAG, it is just one made by experts. Most of the time 95% accuracy is about as good as it gets. A 95% accuracy rate translates into a 10% failure rate of failure to identify any one sex every time all of the time. Besides, there is also a great amount of shall we say sexual indifference or ambiguity in chicks.

 

[BantamLover21]

You'll need to get some pictures for people to make good guesses, especially take some close head shots. From your description, Irene is probably an Ian. Polish seem to start crowing pretty early, and it would be odd for a pullet to have much if any red at that age.

A photo would certainly help. And I agree, pullets usually don't have any signs of wattles at that age. Chances are, your "pullet" is a cockerel.

 

[flockoffour]

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[flockoffour]

You'll probably need to upload a few good photos to help people.

I have 6 pullets and one of my black sex links started making strange noises around 6 weeks (I think, I know it was earlier than 8). There were times were I seriously thought she was trying to be a goose or turkey.

Are you allowed to have roosters or are you going to need to re-home? I think you have a bit more time to find out for sure

Good luck!

Im uploading some photos now, but I will sadly have to re-home Irene if she does turn out to be a he Here are some pics of Irene/Ian

 

[flockoffour]

A photo would certainly help. And I agree, pullets usually don't have any signs of wattles at that age. Chances are, your "pullet" is a cockerel.

Here is a headshot and a full body shot of Irene/Ian