Feral chicken: Hen or Rooster?

[ybhco]

My sister gave me a feral chicken that she caught, and I'm thinking about introducing it to my coop (3 hens). It's considerably smaller than the hens, but the shape of the tail concerns me. They kept it for a few days and said that it doesn't crow. What do we think... are we dealing with a hen or a rooster?

 

[junebuggena]

Female. Looks like she has some game fowl in her mix.

 

[Ameraucanas]

I would say it look likes a hen, but, if in two days, it still hasn't crowed, I would say it's almost definately a hen.

 

[ybhco]

That's great news. Follow-up question: If the other hens (one barred rock, one australorp, one orpington) get along with her, do you see any issues with adding her to the coop?

 

[drumstick diva]

she's a beauty

 

[ybhco]

Right? She's VERY small compared to my birds, but it seems like they've made peace in the coop. They're all upstairs nested down for the night and I'm not hearing any growling or scratching.

 

[miss heny]

That's great news.  Follow-up question:  If the other hens (one barred rock, one australorp, one orpington) get along with her, do you see any issues with adding her to the coop?

the biggest danger is with game hens they don't always play nice with the more docile hens. I recommend putting her in at night and be there to watch reactions.

 

[summerb123]

Hen looks like a game mix

 

[Mcatgirl]

When adding a new chicken make sure you keep them separate for a month to prevent any spread of sickness or disease. You probably all ready know that though. She's beautiful! Love her pattern on her feathers.

 

[ybhco]

Well... bad news: My other three hens were furious when I put the new one in the coop. They managed to make peace and everyone slept upstairs in the coop last night, but the hens woke up just as ****** off. This bird is about half the size of my chickens, and she was getting picked on if she tried to leave the upper deck of the coop.

I opened the coop this morning to check on her, and she bolted. She flew straight out and made a bee-line for the wooded lot behind my house. On the bright side (1) she's been living in the wild her whole life, so she knows what she's doing, (2) the brush is so thick in the wooded lot that she'll be safe from hawks and dogs, (3) there's some old crap back there that she can nest in and (4) she knows where the coop and the food is if she wants to come back.

I'm going to leave a dog crate (the one I transported her here in) open and next to the coop with some feed in case she wants to come back.