French Black Copper Marans Rooster or Hen?

[ginag617]

My friend raised a pair of French black copper marans from hatchlings. At 13 months old, she gave them to me, thinking she was giving me two hens.. However, I"ve had them for 5 days now, and have gotten one egg (that was partially eaten..) One of the 'hens' is larger than the other and has bigger feet and comb, but the coloring is the same and 'she' doesn't have long tail feathers, BUT yesterday when I went out to feed the animals, 'she' crowed!! I'm wondering if this is actually a rooster? My friend really believeved they were both hens, and even believed they both laid eggs.. The first day I had them, they both walked around with similar posture and looked like hens somewhat. But now the one that crowed is standing tall like a rooster. I'm attaching pics of the two of them the day I got them, and a pic of the one in question, standing tall.. What do you think? Rooster? Also, my friend had several roosters and this chicken used to get picked on at her place. Just some incidental facts that may be important.

In the pic below- the one in the front is "Collette" who I think may be a rooster. This pic was taken the first day I got them.


This is "Collette" yesterday, looking quite "cocky" lol.

 

[my sunwolf]

That is not typical Black Copper Marans coloring for a rooster... however, that bird definitely looks and behaves like a rooster (true crowing is VERY rarely a hen trait). Could they be mixes? Closer pictures of the saddle feathers would be nice (on a roo they will be pointed), as well as a comparison shot with one of his/her hen buddies.

And wanted to say

 

[questions543]

that is a roo

 

[Nike]

He's a boy!

 

[HEChicken]

I concur that he is a boy. Colin maybe instead of Collette?

The missing tail feathers may have something to do with being picked on at your friend's place - they may have been pulled out and now that he is not being picked on, they will slowly grow back in. The fact that he was picked on, lends even more weight to him being a boy. If it were a girl, the other roosters would have mated her rather than picking on her. They picked on him as a dominance sort of thing, to keep him from mating "their" hens.

 

[hdowden]

that is a rooster but he looks to be mixed

heres what a french blk copper looks like

heres what the hens look like

 

[ginag617]

Thanks for all your replies. I talked to my friend that gave me the chickens, and she said "Collette" has laid eggs before, so she's sure she's a hen. I guess Collette has just been having gender issues. My friend said she has heard her crow a few times too. Lately she's been looking more like a hen again.. (I wonder if chickens have hormone fluctuations?)

 

[off-grid hen]

I don't know if I've ever seen such big comb and wattles on a female chicken. It looks like a boy to me. I know your friend swears it's a girl, but she may be mistaken. Time will tell. I am subscribing, so please update. I've been wrong before. But from that angle, it looks like a rooster. Do you ever see Collette in the nest box? Even then, sometimes rooster "nest" to show the girls where to lay. Kind of like, "Look honey! I've remodeled the bedroom!"

 

[hdowden]

i have never seen a hen with that big of a comb and wattles before not even on a leghorn :/ your friend sure it was this one laying the eggs? granted the saddle area looks like a rooster has been over mating her. can you get a close up of her hackles? if she is a he they will be long slender and pointed but by the looks of them they look short fat and rounded, can't use saddles until they grow back and if they are also short fat and rounded (blending in with the rest of the body) then it's a hen but again that is a huge comb and wattles

 

[SweetSilver]

Do you ever see Collette in the nest box? Even then, sometimes rooster "nest" to show the girls where to lay. Kind of like, "Look honey! I've remodeled the bedroom!"

All our cockerels coo when they do this.