Do Chickens Know?

[Kim95037]

So I have 2 new silkies. One for sure is a rooster (Oliver) the other one (Whitney) I'm still thinking there is a possibility it may be a hen, even tho she has some wattles (which aren't all that big when compared to Oliver) and a few streamers. Whitney has also only crowed twice and has exhibited behavior and sounds that really reminds me of my other silkie that passed away a while back that was a hen. So Oliver, it looks like has tried to mount Whitney a few times. My question is do chickens know if another chicken is a rooster or a hen? These guys are almost 5 months old.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Could you post some pictures of your birds? Pullets/hens "sometimes" crow and mount each other but no clue if "they know"

 

[Ebony Rose]

I have seen cockerels mount other cockerels as a show of dominance, so I'd not consider this an absolute surety of gender for the submissive bird if you've only witnessed this a time or two.

 

[VictoriaTemple]

Oh, chickens definitely know each other’s gender...better than many humans. My blue Cochin was sold as a cockerel, and didn’t drop her first egg until she was 10 months old, had me completely fooled, but my Jersey Giant rooster was mounting her a month before she laid. I figured it was a dominance thing, but Hero was right!

 

[CoopintheWoods]

I'd say that the chickens definitely know from a very young age. I have one EE hen who was raised with 5 roosters and no other hens (an unfortunate straight run) and the roosters definitely knew who to fight with and which poor chick to harass from a very young age.

 

[sourland]

Roosters will attempt to mate with other roosters/cockerels .

 

[Matilda Belle]

If Whitney crowed, Whitney is a cockerel. Hens can crow sometimes, but never pullets.

 

[Kim95037]

Here's a couple of pics. Thank you guys for your replies.

Oliver is the one in the front

This is Whitney

This is also Whitney

One more of Whitney

 

[Matilda Belle]

Two handsome cockerels!

 

[Kim95037]

Well thankyou very much