Do we have a crowing pullet...or she is a he. Black Copper Marans

[mrsstutler]

I got 8 Black Copper Marans from Tractor supply on April 2nd. Supposedly they are all pullets but one is the clear leader/boss (my kids have now named this one "Leader") and seems to be growing the fastest of them all. My husband swears she is a he because apparently he heard her "crowing" like a rooster this morning. We absolutely cannot have a rooster and I hate to break my kids hearts getting rid of their favorite if it turns out she is a he. The coloring doesn't seem consistent with a roo but I guess anything could be possible? What do you think? First two pictures are of the puzzling poultry, last one is the other girls.

 

[Lisa Cleveland]

Boy

 

[Cazook]

looks like a cockerel. sorry!

 

[nuthatched]

Yep, a dude. Don't worry, your kids will get over it.

 

[mrsstutler]

Yep, a dude. Don't worry, your kids will get over it.

You've never met my 7 year old. Girl holds a grudge against me for trivial things I did or said over two years ago. I'll be hearing about how I got rid of her favorite chicken for the next 25 years.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I hate to agree, but that's a cockerel. I'm sorry.

 

[Offshoreorca]

Yes, definitely a cockerel - they can make really nice roosters sometimes though! I have one named "Louis" who is a pretty great flock protector. Sorry that you won't be able to keep him.

 

[nuthatched]

You've never met my 7 year old. Girl holds a grudge against me for trivial things I did or said over two years ago. I'll be hearing about how I got rid of her favorite chicken for the next 25 years.

Yikes. I know you know this, but that's gotta be nipped in the bud before the teen years or you're going to be dealing with a very unpleasant and controlling person.
In my family, I'd explain why he has to go then tell her that any whining means all the chickens go and we will not be getting more. Your kids shouldn't be afraid to express their opinions around you but they should think twice about disrespecting your authority. Especially with stuff that is past. Just two cents of my opinion, I don't intend to tell you how to raise your children.
Or maybe you could stage an animal attack, like go out for a day/night and have a friend take him and say he was taken by a hawk or something while defending his hens like a good rooster so they remember him as a hero.
Just a thought.
Chickens are hard pets for kids since they are:
Bottom of the food chain, everything wants to eat them.
Jerks, chickens will pull other Chickens feathers and bully them. Flock politics can get deadly.
Males can be loud or aggressive, even hormonal hens will bite.

Just one more thing, if you have the prefab coop with the nest boxes that you get into from the outside, reinforce the bottom (floor) panel of the boxes, my friend lost her chickens to coons that popped that up and got in the coop that way.
Good luck finding a home for the feller.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Yeah there is zero question that's a cockerel. Sounds like that's going to be the easy part for you.

 

[sourland]

Sorry, it's a cockerel. Good luck with the daughter - sounds like ours, and she grew to be an accomplished free thinking success.