At what age can you be SURE of gender?

[horsewishr]

I have a GLW that's supposed to be a pullet. I posted pictures at 5 weeks, and everyone here thought she was a cockerel.

The bird in question is now 19 weeks old, and for all intents and purposes, still looks like a pullet. Her comb and wattles are a bit bigger than the other pullets--but it's hard to compare because the type of comb is different than the others. Her body shape and feather color are completely hen-like. BUT she's a bossy b*tch, and she'll challenge/peck at me if I touch one of the other hens. NONE of my other hens have ever shown this kind of aggression.

But then again, she does the hen-squat if I put my hand over her. Do I have a hermaphrodite????????

 

[okiehen]

I would think that if she was a he , he would be crowing at 19 weeks and your looking at getting very close to laying age.
Do you have a crowing roo on your place? If not just to test this out you can crow and if she is a he will more than likely start crowing.
Ive never been around a roo that wouldn't crow back.

 

[horsewishr]

Hmm. The neighbors have a rooster, and my chicken has never "answered" him. They've also free-ranged together with no problems.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. In some flocks without a rooster, it is possible for the top or one of the top hens to take over the responsibilities that a rooster has in a flock. They will be bossy, protective of the flock, may stop laying, and can even crow.
Sounds like you have a hen from your description, but maybe one that's playing at being the roo.

 

[rubysmom]

Just to concur with Gritsar, I have 5 hens, no roosters and one hen has certainly taken on the bossy rooster role. She also by the way happens to be a GLW.

Possibly the breed?

 

[scrapmom5]

Quote:
What is the "hen squat"?

 

[Chirpy]

scrapmom5 asked:

What is the "hen squat"?

This is when the hen squats down when the Rooster comes over to get on her back to breed. Hens will do that squat when people reach down for them also if they see you as top dog ... so to speak.​