Easter-Egger rooster, or late-blooming tomboy hen?

[Skwishface]

Hey y'all!

I'm a first-time chicken keeper, as will likely become obvious as you read on, so I seek the opinion of you more experienced folks.

I've got a flock of four birds, five months old, three of which are laying happily. The fourth has yet to lay a single egg, but also hasn't crowed. She's always been a little bigger than the others, and lately has grown even more. I wouldn't mind a rooster - there aren't any ordinances against them in my town - I'd just like to know which pronoun to use when I refer to this beast, and whether I can give up hoping for a fourth egg each day.

Here she (he?) is, looking rather rooster-ish. Those dark tailfeathers are iridescent in the sun.


Nice looking bird, in my uneducated opinion. Temperament is as it has always been - inquisitive, friendly, docile. She ranks next-to-last in the flock pecking order. Of the four birds, this is the one most interested in perching on tall things and zipping around the yard to chase out any mockingbirds, sparrows, or stray cats that dare to intrude.

This strikes me as possibly masculine chicken behavior, but then she/he does stuff like ...


Let my three-year-old pet her/him.

... or ...


Pose like some kind of cheeky avian pin-up.

So whattaya think, folks? Boy or girl?

 

[jewel1]

My vote is a pretty pullet!

 

[NJchixs]

My vote is a pretty pullet!

X2

 

[mkcolls]

From your pics I can understand your confusion. She has the coloring, feather shape, leg and comb size of a pullet. But the iridescence, while not the determining factor, can be puzzling, as well as a lack of an egg.

Is she your dominant female? It is not unusual for one of the females to take on some of the male roles in an all female flock.

She is beautiful, her muff is soooo cute, and she is quite the poser, with attitude as well.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

That's pullet coloring, so looks like you have a beautiful, and wonderfully quirky, girl. Her comb is looking largish and red, and if her butt is getting wider and fluffier, you can expect eggs any day now!

 

[PAchickygirl]

I have a boy one, so I can tell you with decent certainty that you have a girl! I wonder why she isn't laying for you though?

 

[KYTinpusher]

I would say you have a very pretty pullet there! If she is not laying eggs, I would say she should start soon. Have you looked around your yard to see if she might be hiding them? Especially if she is low in the pecking order, she may not be allowed to use the nest box. Or she may have just found someplace she likes better.

BTW - you can tell if she is laying by carefully feeling the spacing between her pelvic bones, just below her vent. Feel your other hens for comparison. If she is not laying yet, the bones will be close together.

 

[lalachickies]

I vote very petty pullet. I have an Easter Egger two

 

[rmobtgomery84]

Was there ever any confirmation if your chicken was a he or she? We have an Ameracauna that we fear is a cockerel but people keep saying pullet. Any help would be great! Here's ours by the way at 11 wks

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[rmobtgomery84]

Was there ever any confirmation if your chicken was a he or she? We have an Ameracauna that we fear is a cockerel but people keep saying pullet. Any help would be great! Here's ours by the way at 11 wks

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One of the pictures didn't come through