Cockerel Behavior

[hmkeea]

First time chicken owner! I have a Barred Rock chick that just by his behavior and the way he walks around the box, this chick has what I would best describe as chicken swagger! This chick just exudes confidence in the way it walks. He's about 3 weeks old, very slow to feather, still barely there tail feathers, and his wings are just now starting to feather out. He keeps his posture upright, is very inquisitive, always looking around, stopping, listening. I realize it could end up a bossy female, but my question is, do roosters typically display different behavior, even as chicks? I've already named him J, and either way, male or female, Ive grown to favor him/her, so it's a keeper!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Sometimes those more confident chicks and up being boys, sometimes not.
Your barred rock should be fairly easy to sex. I believe the females have a dark wash down their legs, and I think the males have a big white head spot? Anyway, as they feather out, the females will have tighter barring, making their plumage appear darker. The males will have looser barring, making them appear more white and grey instead of black and white

 

[WildWestChick]

Yes some male chicks are quite bossy, challenging other chicks and chest bumping. They also will stand and walk more upright than females. If you could post a pic it would be easier to see if it's a male...barred rock Roos are lighter than females since they carry 2 barring genes.

 

[chooks4life]

First time chicken owner! I have a Barred Rock chick that just by his behavior and the way he walks around the box, this chick has what I would best describe as chicken swagger! This chick just exudes confidence in the way it walks. He's about 3 weeks old, very slow to feather, still barely there tail feathers, and his wings are just now starting to feather out.

If you can post a pic gender might already be able to be correctly ID'd, but your phrasing makes me wonder... Is this a single chick? As in, no companions? That could explain its behavior if so.

He keeps his posture upright, is very inquisitive, always looking around, stopping, listening. I realize it could end up a bossy female, but my question is, do roosters typically display different behavior, even as chicks?

Some do, some don't, it's so unreliable I don't consider it at all, to be honest.

I also don't consider it a sign of a 'bossy' female, because regardless of the animal showing such traits, it's actually 'alert' behavior. Some males will adopt it due to early maturity and instinct, feeling like they're already looking after a flock (I've actually had males only days old already feeding their own mothers LOL, and mating and crowing at the same age as yours... But, if this is a single chicken with no companions, I would consider its high alert mode due to feeling its vulnerability).

Such 'alert' behavior is common in a wide variety of personality or character types, from nervous types (most commonly) to aggressive types.

Unfortunately, I generally do not find such birds to be keepers due to the exaggerated traits such chickens tend to have. It's fine to adopt such posture and behavior in response to relevant stimuli, but not to walk around in flight or fight mode nonstop, as I'm sure you can see it tends to indicate an excessively hyper mentality is present.

This generally does not result in a useful flock member, but rather one that is overly vicious or anxious and therefore trouble for you, itself, and any other flock members. Same thing as a dog walking around with its hackles up nonstop, more or less.

However since you've indicated this is a pet basically (if I've read your post right) good luck with it.

Best wishes.

 

[hmkeea]

Im not sure I did the quote part right, Im just learning how to navigate through this...but this is the chick in question. He is not a single chick. There are 11 others, but I can see how my wording would have led one to think that. I have two barred rocks that I know for sure are pullets, and they are definitely darker than this one. For whatever reason, like this one a lot. He isn't mean or anything, doesn't pick on the others at all. Not at all aggressive that I have observed. He seems to pay more attention, like his wheels are always turning.

 

[chooks4life]

Yeah, I see what you mean about the pose, lol, very pronounced. Mostly in my experience birds stuck in high alert mode only become trouble as adults, but of course there's a chance that might not happen. Good luck with it. The eye doesn't look mean, most mean chooks show a nasty look in their eye, as weird as that may sound to some.

I'm no expert on sexing BRs but don't see anything particularly male about this one.

You might find some answers in these threads if you're willing to do some 'wading' lol, lots of opinions, but seems that hatchery BRs are very hard to sex by color, pattern, spots, shanks, feathering, you name it, compared to heritage bred ones. Where you got this bird would influence sexing by any of those methods.
Quote:
Normally I find BRs exhibit a lot more size and coloration of comb at that age and younger if male, they seem to be one of those breeds that colors up and develops quickly.

Best wishes.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Looks like a pullet to me

 

[LuLu68]

Looks like a female to me.