dominant hen or rooster?

[pipit]

I got some Buff Orpinton pullets from the local feed store 4 months ago. One of them has developed a large comb and big wattles. It holds it's tail up and some of the feathers are long and curled. It has begun to crow, too, but there are no spurs. It looks like there are spur buds, but I would have thought a rooster would have spurs by 4 months. Is this a rooster that was mis-sexed or do I have a gender confused hen? I did not purchase any cockerels. Is there a sure-fire way to tell the difference?

My husband doesn't want a rooster because we got chickens for the eggs. He said if this turns out to ba a rooster, it's going to be dinner.

If it is a rooster, I guess I'm going to have to change its name from Hyacinth to Harry.

 

[poppycat]

Crowing means it's a rooster. Sorry.

The sexing that is done by hatcheries (who provide chicks to feedstores) is about 90% accurate. Unfortunately that means one in ten is a rooster.

 

[chrissieg]

My BO cockerel never had spurs - he was a real gentleman and looked after his girls so well, I hope you keep Harry - just think of all those lovely chicks you can raise

 

[silkiechicken]

Keep him, make more chicks! Tell your husband that if he wants more eggs, just hatch more, and use all the offspring roo's for meat. Saves on that spring chick bill!

 

[missusduray]

Keep this in mind, If you dont keep him then one of your hens will take the dominant position and she may stop laying. They usually so when they assume a rooster position. There are benifits to having a roo. He keeps the girls in line, he fertilizes eggs for free so you can have more chickens for free(beats buying them from a hatchery) and he protects them. If your hubby wants eggs I reccomend keeping the rooster so that your hens stay productive. I have 3 BO hens and BO roo and I couldnt imagine not having my roo now. I initially didnt want him but I was talked into it and now I am so happy that I did.
Kristyne

 

[pipit]

Thanks for the input. How do I tell if the eggs have been fertilized or not? Can you eat fertilized eggs if you refrigerate them immediately? I have other breeds of hen, as well. will I get hybrids? This is all new to me, so if these seem like stupid questions, it's from ignorance.


Thanks everyone!

 

[SpottedCrow]

You have a lovely rooster...Soem of the heavy breeds won't get spurs until they're a couple of years old...Slifer didn't get her's until she was over two when she was finished growing.
The way to tell if an egg is fertilized is if you crack one open and look for a bullseye in the yolk of the egg. Unless you're an Orthodox Jew, and/or are keeping Kosher, then you can eat the fertilized eggs. Even though there have been some horror stories of cracking open an egg and a chick falls into the pan, it's usually an urban legend. Unless a hen has been sitting on the egg, then it may be fertilized, but will not grow into a chick.
Hybrids are more than likely unless you want to keep your breeds pure.

 

[missusduray]

If you collect eggs everyday then you know that the eggs are fresh for eating. I collect eggs until I know that a hen has gone broody. This still hasnt happened to me. When a hen is broody that means that she wants to hatch eggs. Then she wont leave the nest and she usually gets very cranky. So until that happens you dont really have to worry about the eggs being fertile, unless you are Jewish like SpottedCrow mentioned. Good luck,
Kristyne

 

[pipit]

Thank you all! I think my husband can rest easy, now. I think he had a fear of cracking an egg into the pan and finding an embryo. I am quite happy to have "Harry". I was thinking of gfetting a roo to watch out for the girls anyway. Now I don't have to. He's quite lovely to look at, too.

Thanks again!

 

[chickiebird]

I, too, accidently have a rooster (actually I have two, but trying to find a home for one) that I love. I didn't want a rooster at all, but now I love hearing him crow, and he's so pretty, and I think I'll try to hatch some chicks next spring too...
Poor hubby. He thought, "Yea, let the wife have 4 chickens, it's only 4 chickens..." heeheehee