Can she be a he? A Roo vs. Pullet Question!

[twincreekfarm]

UPDATE!

Here are some recent pictures of the chicken in question. Since last posted, she(he) crows every morning and throughout the day. She(he) crows more than the RIR rooster we have. By the looks of her coloring and her feathers, I'm really starting to lean more to her as a HE. She is way more advanced than her sisters (all my chicks were hatched the same day). Ya'll tell me what you think!

Turkey (Roo?)

Turkey and The Colonel our RIR Roo

Our flock

Other Araucana Pullet, see the difference?

 

[MissPrissy]

I think it is a cockeral.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Turkey (roo) looks like a cockeral to me too.....

Eating each others feathers might mean they need some more protein in their diets....

 

[speckledhen]

ROO! Pointy saddles clinch it.

 

[twincreekfarm]

Ok, I'm now totally lost! What are pointy saddles? See, I'm learning stuff every day!

 

[speckledhen]

Look down the back of the chicken toward the tail; just in front of the tail is the saddle area. Feathers sort of fall off on either side and are very pointed in roosters.

 

[twincreekfarm]

Ok, great! Thank you! I never knew there was sooo much to learn about chickens until I found this forum! I love it and I am addicted! I have even started my christmas list from things I find on here! I love my chickens. I wake up at 6am and go out into the freezing cold to turn their light on and feed them. i don't even do that for my kids!!

Thanks to all of you for your replys! Well, I guess I have to change my signature now to having 11 pullets instead of 12! We now know we have 2 Roo's in the hen house!!

 

[speckledhen]

Hey, twincreek, I lived in Dayton, Ohio for 12 years when we were stationed there with the Air Force. After six years we bought a house near Stebbins HS and stayed there till we were sent back to Utah for another tour at Hill AFB.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I agree with the roo diagnosis.

The feather eating could be low protein or low Methione. methione is needed for feather growth. You can feed sunflower seeds to them for both low protein and low Methione. This is an example of things you can learn here- I had the feather eating problem, too.

 

[twincreekfarm]

Ok, i just had to come in and tell ya'll that while i was out feeding the chicks this morning . . . the tell all of seeing if Turkey (my chick in question) was really a rooster totally came to fruition! I came out to feed them, the crowing commenced. They were all roosting on the 10 bed roosting box perches. I picked up Laya, a known pullet and talked to her a little and then i put her down on the ground. Just as she flew outta my arms Turkey jumps down from the roost, mounts her and bites her neck and goes to town on her!

I have read on here about others seeing their Roo's do the do, but to see it in action . . .well, it definitly answered once in for all if she is a he. So YUP, ITS A BOY!!!!!