Dude or Dudette

[LateBirdFarms]

Okay, so I've never been particularly good at telling a young roo and a pullet apart... I've mostly dealt with sexlinks until recently as I have no use for roos, well, I can think of a few but the hubby draws the line at roos. I got this youngster in the midst of molting from a lady who had quite a few too many birds in one pen, and a few who were more than certainly cannibalistic. (I'll refer to this bird as "they" or "them" until someone confirms or settles my fears.) They were pecked pretty bad, especially their tail and neck, but out of all of the injured youngsters they were the only one not taking an eye for an eye so to speak, chunk for a chunk, so I crossed my fingers they were a she and took them home. This one is out of an EE rooster and a Black Plymouth Rock hen (or so I was told, not sure why the lady would lie about this)... anyway I've had them just over a month, and the feathers on their neck are beautiful again, but the feathers on the tail region have only two pathetic feathers, broken quite a ways down so they're barely geathers at all. There's the occasion pin feather showing, but the were plucked and pecked bald and bloody. They'll be 14weeks old in another day or two and I haven't heard a single attempt at crowing yet and I've been in the yard nearly every daylight hour prepping for spring for the last few weeks.. But what I have noticed is the major growth spirt on the legs, they've thickened up so much I've been affectionately referring to them as Turkey Legs. On the topic of affection, this big bird is super affectionate, docile and sweet so it would be a real shame to see that disappear with hormones, or cause they decided to gender identify as a male.

Ah well... enough back story, a picture says a thousand word and all th. These are from a little less than a week ago, so I'll have to grab a new one for comparison tomorrow.

Any opinions? Please have opinions!

Thank you,
- Amber
Late Bird Farms

 

[boskelli1571]

Okay, so I've never been particularly good at telling a young roo and a pullet apart... I've mostly dealt with sexlinks until recently as I have no use for roos, well, I can think of a few but the hubby draws the line at roos. I got this youngster in the midst of molting from a lady who had quite a few too many birds in one pen, and a few who were more than certainly cannibalistic. (I'll refer to this bird as "they" or "them" until someone confirms or settles my fears.) They were pecked pretty bad, especially their tail and neck, but out of all of the injured youngsters they were the only one not taking an eye for an eye so to speak, chunk for a chunk, so I crossed my fingers they were a she and took them home. This one is out of an EE rooster and a Black Plymouth Rock hen (or so I was told, not sure why the lady would lie about this)... anyway I've had them just over a month, and the feathers on their neck are beautiful again, but the feathers on the tail region have only two pathetic feathers, broken quite a ways down so they're barely geathers at all. There's the occasion pin feather showing, but the were plucked and pecked bald and bloody. They'll be 14weeks old in another day or two and I haven't heard a single attempt at crowing yet and I've been in the yard nearly every daylight hour prepping for spring for the last few weeks.. But what I have noticed is the major growth spirt on the legs, they've thickened up so much I've been affectionately referring to them as Turkey Legs. On the topic of affection, this big bird is super affectionate, docile and sweet so it would be a real shame to see that disappear with hormones, or cause they decided to gender identify as a male.

Ah well... enough back story, a picture says a thousand word and all th. These are from a little less than a week ago, so I'll have to grab a new one for comparison tomorrow.

View attachment 2095285

View attachment 2095287

Any opinions? Please have opinions!

Thank you,
- Amber
Late Bird Farms

I'm pretty sure she is a she. The little extra fluff you see around the wattles is probably from the EE beard/muff. Her tail feathers may not grow back in until her first molt....

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I think she’s a girl too... I have a couple of hens with HUMONGOUS feet! I’m talking, “can’t blow that girl over in a windstorm” sized feet. And her tail feathers will probably not grow back until the molt, but no big deal. She’s a pretty girl!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

That's a sex linked cockerel. If the mother is a barred hen, she will pass her barring genes onto her sons only, and never her daughters. With his father being solid, like an EE, then he has to be a cockerel, and can be nothing else.
Besides the genetics, the leakage on the wing bars is also indicative of a cockerel.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

That's a sex linked cockerel. If the mother is a barred hen, she will pass her barring genes onto her sons only, and never her daughters. With his father being solid, like an EE, then he has to be a cockerel, and can be nothing else.
Besides the genetics, the leakage on the wing bars is also indicative of a cockerel.

Ahah! I knew I remembered reading something about that barred gene! Drat! Even without the barring gene there's some spur bumps beginning to show and what I suspect will be beautiful red saddle and hackle feathers. Thank you!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

The amber coloring in the feathers also is indicative of a cockerel.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Ahah! I knew I remembered reading something about that barred gene! Drat! Even without the barring gene there's some spur bumps beginning to show and what I suspect will be beautiful red saddle and hackle feathers. Thank you!

Just remember that a spur a rooster does not make. I have a 3 yr old hen with spurs. With the barring gene:
A solid rooster over a barred hen will always make sex linked chicks. That's how they breed black sex links. They put a RIR or similar over a barred rock. The chicks are all hatched black, except the males have a white spot on their head, the females don't. The spot indicates the presence of the barring gene and therefore you can spot all the boys at hatch.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

It's a shame I can't keep him, he really is a gentleman! Despite having several acres, we're technically still within town limits, if at the very very edge. I don't think anyone would actually realize if I had a roo.. but I don't want to take the chance at causing trouble for the other community chicken keepers.*sigh* bye bye Bigbird

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Does that trick with barring work with all breed?
Does spangled or penciled count as a type of barring?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

No. Spangling and penciled do not come out as barring. And yes, if you put an unbarred roo over a barred hen, it will work. You may not see the barring spot depending on what the base down color is at hatch, but when the feathers come in, you will be able to tell.