Age to Crow?

[truckerswife]

I have a 14 week old SLW, supposed to be female. Looks like a rooster though, but acts like a hen. It is bigger than the other SLW same age, this one has thicker legs (no spurs) and it has a very developed and dark comb/wattle where as the other SLW doesnt have a developed comb/wattle and it is faint and pinkish color.

If hen that looks like a rooster is a rooster when would it crow. Would it be practice crowing by now? Cant have roosters here so I am concerned.

Any pointers of what to look for to detect rooster proof...greatly appreciated.

 

[Judy]

I thought I had 2 SLW pullets and 2 roos, about 15 weeks. I recently processed the "roos" and found eggs in one of them. Both had redder combs/wattles than the "hens." Both were very aggressive, mean, and not chickens I wanted in my flock. The (supposed) remaining hens are not mean, but still too young for eggs, so it remains to be seen. I did not really see any difference in leg thickness with them, though it is apparent in some of the other breeds.

Crowing is really, really unpredictable. Some start trying to crow at a week or two. Some rarely if ever crow if there is a dominant roo around. I still have several roos at 17+ weeks; only a couple are crowing. One is clearly the dominant roo.

That's too young for spurs, and sometimes hens grow spurs, anyway. My mean "roo" that turned out to be a hen was also larger than the two who are still around.

Good luck!