Everyone is 50/50 on whether this is a pullet or cockerel 😂

[NatJ]

A cockerel with female-specific plumage, a very interesting sight . . .

Hen-feathered males do exist.

But in this case, I'm pretty sure it's just baby feathers.

Young chicks all have rounded feathers in the saddle area, no matter whether they are males or females. (Males get their narrow pointy saddle feathers later, while females always have rounded ones.)

And young chicks can have that color pattern, no matter whether they are males or females. Males change color/pattern as they get older, so by maturity only females have that color pattern.

(Of course hen-feathered males will have hen-shaped saddle feathers and hen-colored feathers everywhere.)

She's of the Duckwing color pattern. That coloration is Sexually Dimorphic. Males are black Breasted, & females are Red/Salmon Breasted.

I'm not so sure about that. I've seen mixed-breed chicks who looked much like that, and grew up to be males. I think the Columbian gene was involved in removing the black from the breast. So with no idea of the parentage, I would believe black breast = male, but I don't trust that not-black breast means female.

I've posted this chick a couple times, but so far no one can identify if this is a cockerel or pullet. Votes are consistently 50/50

I can see good points both ways, so I really can't decide. I am leaning "male" because of the recent crowing, but I will be watching with interest to see how this goes.

 

[TheNewFeathers]

Do you have any other chickens that could be cockerels? Maybe they’re crowing and Cleo isn’t.

These are my other chicks we raised. I'm pretty confident they're all pullets.

 

[TheNewFeathers]

Hen-feathered males do exist.

But in this case, I'm pretty sure it's just baby feathers.

Young chicks all have rounded feathers in the saddle area, no matter whether they are males or females. (Males get their narrow pointy saddle feathers later, while females always have rounded ones.)

And young chicks can have that color pattern, no matter whether they are males or females. Males change color/pattern as they get older, so by maturity only females have that color pattern.

(Of course hen-feathered males will have hen-shaped saddle feathers and hen-colored feathers everywhere.)


I'm not so sure about that. I've seen mixed-breed chicks who looked much like that, and grew up to be males. I think the Columbian gene was involved in removing the black from the breast. So with no idea of the parentage, I would believe black breast = male, but I don't trust that not-black breast means female.


I can see good points both ways, so I really can't decide. I am leaning "male" because of the recent crowing, but I will be watching with interest to see how this goes.

This was all very interesting, thank you!! I am leaning male as well, but again- there's not a single bit of rooster personality in this chicken.

 

[bill3607]

These look like a girl.

lol These last pictures seem to make him look more male than the previous ones. The hackles look suspicious for one thing.

 

[TheNewFeathers]

lol These last pictures seem to make him look more male than the previous ones. The hackles look suspicious for one thing.

It's, like, if you catch his left side- Rooster. Her right side? Hen. I swear every time I get pictures of him/her it almost looks different between photos, on the same day.

 

[bill3607]

It's, like, if you catch his left side- Rooster. Her right side? Hen. I swear every time I get pictures of him/her it almost looks different between photos, on the same day.

There is one other person I would love to hear their opinion on it, but I think she is on a vacay at the moment. Maybe @Kiki can get up with them, though

 

[MysteryChicken]

All shown are pullets.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Hen-feathered males do exist.

But in this case, I'm pretty sure it's just baby feathers.

Young chicks all have rounded feathers in the saddle area, no matter whether they are males or females. (Males get their narrow pointy saddle feathers later, while females always have rounded ones.)

And young chicks can have that color pattern, no matter whether they are males or females. Males change color/pattern as they get older, so by maturity only females have that color pattern.

(Of course hen-feathered males will have hen-shaped saddle feathers and hen-colored feathers everywhere.)

I know hen-feathered males exist, I raise Sebrights. You make a good point, but I was only saying that the cockerel's color was interesting because he appeared to be both genders at first.

 

[TheNewFeathers]

That bird is a pullet. All of them look like pullets.

Just a crowing pullet?

 

[bill3607]

Update? Still crowing? New Pics?