Do I have a rooster after all?

[Rob Sivulka]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...68603109&type=1&theater&notif_t=photo_comment

This was just taken today. I've got 4 Rhode Island Reds, and I'm really starting to wonder if I've got a rooster or not. "She" looks like one, but doesn't have spurs on back of her legs and she's not crowing--although she's starting to make a weird ghostly noise. We just always figured she was an early developer. She's even starting to get a little color in her tail and it's looking poof-ier. She's always acted like a rooster too, bossy over the others, and she even was pecking at me today when I went to pet her. They're all going to be 16 weeks Tuesday. Should I wait a little longer? Please see the above pic, and let me know what you think.

Thanks!

Rob

 

[Hezz]

You ARE speaking of the one in the middle, correct? If so, then you've definitely got yourself a rooster.

 

[dretd]

If you mean the bigger one in the middle with the large red comb and waddles, then yeah, you've got roo. Don't worry, the spurs will come with time and they are really more on the inside-ish than straight back. In my experience the start of the crow is always an Ahhh-ah-ahhh sounds

 

[Rob Sivulka]

Yes, I'm definitely talking about the one in the middle. There's no doubt as to whether the others are hens or not. Thanks for the input!

 

[yorklady]

Man! Why is it that I can tell what others have but still have no clue as to the sex of mine? Geesh! Hopefully can get some pics this weekend!

 

[Rob Sivulka]

Here's something interesting a buddy just told me after seeing a pic of my other buddies RIR hens that look somewhat similar to the one I have in question: [FONT=lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif]"[/FONT]Some hens are a little "mannish" if you can say that. We have one who has spurs - but she's all hen. Sometimes in an all female coop one hen will become the dominant hen, stop laying, and even crow. Chickens have a pretty clear social order and sometimes a lack of rooster can create a vacuum that one hen will fill. All that said, there's no need to rush."

 

[featherz]

That one in the middle is definitely a boy. Spurs and crowing can come much later - my 1+ year old roo has tiny spurs and he didn't crow until 8 months or so. You see those shiny darker feathers on the back? Those are saddle feathers coming in.

And yes, you can have mannish girls, but that's generally older hens. But sure, there's no need to rush.