greenviolet
In the Brooder
- Aug 22, 2025
- 7
- 16
- 21
This is Butter 
In this picture, Butter is 5 months and one week old. Sold as a "rainbow egger" but from searching the internet, I am fairly certain is a Barred Rock and Buff Orpington combo (hatchery has both breeds). The dark brown chicken in the background is a hen of the same age, also sold as a "rainbow egger" but is certainly not the same breeds.
Butter has recently re-taken the top pecking spot over the last 2 weeks after overcoming serious illness lasting just as long that required separation from the flock, and is very much back to usual self. Re-integration was slightly delayed after another chicken, who had taken the top spot while Butter was away, went on the attack and they had to remain separated. This chicken has since been "pecked down" several times, the most recent of which was yesterday.
And then today..Butter crowed 4 or 5 times this morning. But my confusion lies in the fact that Butter has no rooster saddle feathers or sickle feathers, even at now almost 6 months old. The saddle feathers are exactly the same shape as another hen's, but fluffier. They are not thin or sleek in a "waterfall."
Neighbors less than a quarter mile away have at least 2 but possibly 3 roosters that all my chickens have heard crowing daily ever since they moved out into the coop months ago. So, there has been plenty of time before now to hear or imitate crowing.
Chat GPT says that based on all the characteristics Butter has and that another hen was "pecked down" yesterday, the crowing is a display from a very dominant and confident (soon to be) hen, despite the young age. There are no other mature rooster behaviors I have seen: no tidbits, no dancing, and is just as likely as the hens to chase squirrels or birds or to run away. Butter "resource guards" access to me from other hens when i come in to clean the run, and sometimes steals from other hens or the one hen that has tried to take the top spot.
This picture is Butter at 5 months:
and this is the saddle at around 4 months:
Even today, at almost 6 months, the saddle feathers do not look like rooster saddle feathers at all. I have seen that Buff Orpingtons mature later than other breeds, and combined with the illness, it can explain why there is no laying happening. But in looking at pictures of roosters of these two breeds at the same age, I'd have thought there would be obvious saddle and sickle feathers by now.
So, is Butter just a very confident and dominant pullet, or does my dude look like a lady?
EDIT: Here is Butter in the preferred position, sleeping on a person, at 5 months old:
In this picture, Butter is 5 months and one week old. Sold as a "rainbow egger" but from searching the internet, I am fairly certain is a Barred Rock and Buff Orpington combo (hatchery has both breeds). The dark brown chicken in the background is a hen of the same age, also sold as a "rainbow egger" but is certainly not the same breeds.Butter has recently re-taken the top pecking spot over the last 2 weeks after overcoming serious illness lasting just as long that required separation from the flock, and is very much back to usual self. Re-integration was slightly delayed after another chicken, who had taken the top spot while Butter was away, went on the attack and they had to remain separated. This chicken has since been "pecked down" several times, the most recent of which was yesterday.
And then today..Butter crowed 4 or 5 times this morning. But my confusion lies in the fact that Butter has no rooster saddle feathers or sickle feathers, even at now almost 6 months old. The saddle feathers are exactly the same shape as another hen's, but fluffier. They are not thin or sleek in a "waterfall."
Neighbors less than a quarter mile away have at least 2 but possibly 3 roosters that all my chickens have heard crowing daily ever since they moved out into the coop months ago. So, there has been plenty of time before now to hear or imitate crowing.
Chat GPT says that based on all the characteristics Butter has and that another hen was "pecked down" yesterday, the crowing is a display from a very dominant and confident (soon to be) hen, despite the young age. There are no other mature rooster behaviors I have seen: no tidbits, no dancing, and is just as likely as the hens to chase squirrels or birds or to run away. Butter "resource guards" access to me from other hens when i come in to clean the run, and sometimes steals from other hens or the one hen that has tried to take the top spot.
This picture is Butter at 5 months:
and this is the saddle at around 4 months:
Even today, at almost 6 months, the saddle feathers do not look like rooster saddle feathers at all. I have seen that Buff Orpingtons mature later than other breeds, and combined with the illness, it can explain why there is no laying happening. But in looking at pictures of roosters of these two breeds at the same age, I'd have thought there would be obvious saddle and sickle feathers by now.
So, is Butter just a very confident and dominant pullet, or does my dude look like a lady?
EDIT: Here is Butter in the preferred position, sleeping on a person, at 5 months old:
Last edited:
so maybe there is just some strange hormone thing happening. Definitely no rooster feathers though.
