Barred Rock Gender question

[DeeAnn5]

Hello. These are the first 2 chickens I've ever owned or been around much. They live in our backyard in a really good home and are city pets. We bought them 2 months ago, the person selling them had an IQ challenge but I will give him credit - he kept them safe/alive and healthy and ran his own part-time chicken business (impressive!) and his brother helps him.

Little is the younger one - Patty is the older one. Hens or roosters? I say both hens, due to



no spurs. Also, it was our understanding that their ages (would now be) 5 and 6 months old. Is that right? We have not seen any eggs or heard any crows. Patty does chase Little and tells Little what to do. Yet, she also seems to mother Little and is very protective of Little. So I spend a lot of time trying to figure out whether they are hens and roosters. Help?

 

[HS Pye]

One is definitely a hen (the one in the bottom of the first photo). The one in the second photo looks like a cock but he hasn't a rooster-like tail so IDK for sure about him. Cocks typically won't develop spurs at that young of an age, so you usually have to find out another way to see if they are cocks.

 

[BantamLover21]

The one in the lower part of the first photo is definitely a pullet, about 4-6 months of age. But I think the other bird is a rooster--the legs aren't thick, but the coloring is light, the stance is upright, and the comb/wattles are far more developed than those of the other pullet. I also think I see pointed hackle (neck) feathers; another sign of a rooster. "He" just hasn't developed his long, pointed tail feathers yet. Spurs will not become prominent until birds are at least 6 months of age.

 

[DeeAnn5]

thank you!

 

[Wyandottes7]

I agree with the above two posters-- you appear to have one pullet and one cockererel. Barred Rock roosters are lighter than the hens, and the second bird is lighter than the first. "It" also has large red comb and wattles, and stands tall. Not all roosters develop spurs, and they don't develop them until later. I'm not sure that they are pure Barred Rocks. It may be the picture, but the second one looks like it has whitish grey legs. Barred Rocks are supposed to have yellow legs.

 

[DeeAnn5]

Well it's 2 years later but just wanted to say yes, you were correct. 1 was a rooster and the other was my Little. The rooster, "Patty" went back to the farm. Little died of a respiratory infection, probably because I was using the wrong bedding material. We use only the pine chips now.

 

[fshinggrl]

Well it's 2 years later but just wanted to say yes, you were correct.  1 was a rooster and the other was my Little.  The rooster, "Patty" went back to the farm.  Little died of a respiratory infection, probably because I was using the wrong bedding material.  We use only the pine chips now.

I always love it when people come back and update their posts! Sorry to hear about "Little."