Cockerel behaviour

[SayChicken]

Hi. I have a 12 week old cuckoo orpington that I suspect is a male. Compared to my other same aged orpington, it has a developed red comb and wattle and that it the only reason why i have my suspicions as I have yet to see pointed saddle feathers. It has picked out one Pullet in my small flock to give a hard time. It chases her away from the food and gives her a peck if she’s too close. This is the only bird that it gives harsh treatment to. So …I was thinking …does this sound like ‘top hen’ behaviour? My other confirmed rooster doesn’t bother any of the birds in the flock.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Photos if you're able to post!

 

[Folly's place]

Pictures will help, but your best guess is likely right.
More space, at least two feeders and waterers, and out of sight spaces always make interactions safer in a flock. Maybe you have another cockerel here too.
Mary

 

[aart]

I’ve already posted photos of this young cuckoo orpington in another post. The consensus was that it is make despite not having any saddle feather at 11 weeks old. Apparently this is not uncommon for orpingtons. My question now is about behaviour. I have two males in my flock of 7. The other two do not pick on any other birds (aside from their own one on one scuffles). But this suspected male cuckoo orp singles out one hen to pick on. Behaviourally, is this not more of a ‘top’ hen behaviour?

Saddle and hackle feathers are not always apparent that soon.
Maybe especially on an Orp because they ted to mature more slowly.
He may be picking on the one girl because the other male keeps him from the others.
The behavior is more likely males behavior rather than top hen behavior.

 

[SayChicken]

Saddle and hackle feathers are not always apparent that soon.
Maybe especially on an Orp because they ted to mature more slowly.
He may be picking on the one girl because the other male keeps him from the others.
The behavior is more likely males behavior rather than top hen behavior.

Thank you for your reply. No the other male doesn’t do anything re keeping the cuckoo away from other hens. Also, it looks like I have a third Roo I suspected a long time ago (due to early red comb) but once again at 13 weeks it has no pointy Roo saddle feathers. So these three Roos challenge each other the most with stare down and neck feather fluffing. So I guess the two that I was questioning probably really are Roos

 

[Folly's place]

Pullets will also do that, part of establishing the flock social order. But early red combs are cockerels, hackle feathers come later. often cockerels also have thicker legs than the pullets also.
Any that start threating you go first, then see how the others develop, if you plan to keep one.
Mary

 

[aart]

I suspected a long time ago (due to early red comb)

That's really the best indicator, IME, with most breeds.
By 4-6 weeks, color/size differences in combs/wattles between males and females are pretty apparent.

 

[Tonyroo]

Are confident about the sex of the birds your describing with the behavior?

 

[SayChicken]

Pictures will help, but your best guess is likely right.
More space, at least two feeders and waterers, and out of sight spaces always make interactions safer in a flock. Maybe you have another cockerel here too.
Mary

As mentioned in my post, the cuckoo orp is a highly suspected Roo …I’m trying to figure out (because of lack of saddle feathers at 13 weeks of age) if it might possibly have any chance of being a hen due to its ‘top’ henish behaviour of picking on just one hen. Space is not as issue as they have a big coop and run.

 

[SayChicken]

Photos if you're able to post!

I’ve already posted photos of this young cuckoo orpington in another post. The consensus was that it is make despite not having any saddle feather at 11 weeks old. Apparently this is not uncommon for orpingtons. My question now is about behaviour. I have two males in my flock of 7. The other two do not pick on any other birds (aside from their own one on one scuffles). But this suspected male cuckoo orp singles out one hen to pick on. Behaviourally, is this not more of a ‘top’ hen behaviour?