Acts like a hen, looks like a roo? MORE PHOTOS!!

[dolly85]

She looks very feminine to me. At five months she may just be a little more developed and closer to laying eggs then the hen in the background. If she was a boy her comb would be much much larger and deeper red. Also, look at that tail! Nice rounded feathers down the sides. No doubt in my mind that the chicken in question is a girl.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Could you please give your reasons? I would like to learn how to tell the difference.

Sometimes, I don't have a specific reason. It's just "breeder's intuition", I suppose, based on BR crosses I've had and seen as well as Delaware crosses I've seen. And I could be wrong. If this is a BR cross, it's probably male. If it's a Delaware cross, it's probably male. I do think I see the pointy, skinny saddle feathers hanging off in front of the tail area, so maybe that is why I think male. The comb is not large, I agree, and maybe it's just a masculine pullet. Time will tell. With these crossbreeds, it can be tricky until you see saddle feathers coming in.

 

[downstownlady]

OMG...ROFLMAO!!! That picture was just what I needed along with the "...least of your worries" comment. I have tears in my eyes! Thank you!!!

 

[UrbanChick101]

Quote:
This gave me a good laugh... never would have noticed had it not been pointed out!! - Love it!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Ok, well, if it's giving birth, it's a girl! LOL, LOL.

 

[ChooksChick]

If you look at the pin-feathers coming in at the skin at the base of the tail and the area just in front of the tail, you'll see that the feathers are either getting wider right away to more of a traditional elongated oval or they're staying pointy and skinny. You can even scrape a bit of the wax casing off to see what they'll look like when open.

If the feathers there are skinny, you have a roo. I'm torn. I can't decide, because the front half is girl; the tail area is ambiguous.

 

[spish]

sorry but i vote roo, i 'see' the beginnings of saddle feathers, the legs look chunky and tall...it just screams 'roo' at me. do youhave maybe some 'siblings' to compare him/her with? could you post some pictures?

 

[Chickiebaby8]

Quote:
Could you please give your reasons? I would like to learn how to tell the difference.

Sometimes, I don't have a specific reason. It's just "breeder's intuition", I suppose, based on BR crosses I've had and seen as well as Delaware crosses I've seen. And I could be wrong. If this is a BR cross, it's probably male. If it's a Delaware cross, it's probably male. I do think I see the pointy, skinny saddle feathers hanging off in front of the tail area, so maybe that is why I think male. The comb is not large, I agree, and maybe it's just a masculine pullet. Time will tell. With these crossbreeds, it can be tricky until you see saddle feathers coming in.

Thank you! I am still learning. He/She is very pretty and doesn't fuss with the little Roo who has a huge comb and waddles and has looked like a roo from the get-go. They sleep together every night.They sometimes wrap their necks together like swans. It is really precious, actually. But he/she just had such a growth spurt so I was afraid it was a roo. I guess time will tell. I have a huge Australorp Roo who is crowing and trying to mate with all of the hens, so I finally know what a real roo looks like. But with a mix breed, I guess it is different?


Thank you for all of your help. <3

 

[speckledhen]

All males have saddle feathers eventually, no matter how large or small the comb is or how they behave. It could be a hen, but if so, its very masculine. If you could get a close up of the saddle area with no glare at all, I may change my mind, but it just looks very boyish to me. With the smut and white feathers, it's too hard to see well where the saddle is. Are you sure of the age?

 

[Chickiebaby8]

Quote:
I am not sure about the age. She/he is supposed to be at least 6 months old. I have two other roos and they stand very tall and walk differently. I will go try to get another photo of her backside.