Do I have a roo?

[misspnme]

Hi! I posted last night and wanted to update with pics. Unfortunately I could only get one decent shot. Chickens are not the most cooperative of models. Anyway, I was given these four 20 week old RIRs from my bro in law. He insists they're all females but one of them has dark green prominent tail feathers (only has one now but did have three) dark green feathers on the neck and is significantly larger than the others. The feet are almost twice the size of the others. But the waddles and crest are small and look female.....?

 

[BantamLover21]

The bird in question does appear to be a rooster.

 

[cmchickens]

Yep, rooster. Can you see the pointy saddle feathers? The long tail feathers are sickle feathers.

 

[mak2001]

yes it looks like it but you can surely tell about 7/8 months

 

[keesmom]

Hmm, he does have the scraggly look of a cockerel. However at 20 weeks I would expect to see more saddle feathers and he should be crowing his head off. And as you noted the comb is as small as the pullets. Are you sure that bird is the same age as the others?

 

[misspnme]

Yes, they were all hatched the same day. I'm not sure if they're from the same batch of eggs, but if anything they're at the most a few days apart in age. They have not been well cared for. Which is why I took them from my bro in law, I don't know if a lack of nutrition would stunt the growth of the comb or wattles?

 

[misspnme]

And from what I've read Roos have very shiny feathers, almost wet looking and this one definitely has that!

 

[donrae]

Agree it's a cockerel. Not sure why the comb and wattles aren't more developed, but sex feathers tell the tale. Or, tail

 

[mak2001]

We'll mine didn't start crowing until 7 months

 

[russnbecky]

It looks exactly like my RIR rooster did at about 14 weeks. I am new to chickens but at 18 weeks mine were huge with very prominent tail feathers, beard and comb. They didn't start crowing until 17 weeks and we got rid of them a week later.