Gold-Laced Polish gender

[MusiGal]

Trico - here are a few. I hope they do well. I think I know...deep down..that Ava is a boy.

At any rate, here they are. There will be eight. My understanding is you should be able to click on them to see the larger versions of them.

You can't quite tell by this photo, but Ava has the prettiest blue ear.


Back feathers right before the tail.


Tail feathers.


Side shot.


Face - you can see the "horns" a little bit here.


Another full body side shot.


Hind quarters.


This photo really shows the horns well.

With all this said, if he can't find his two hen friends OR me, he starts "crying"...he has the cutest "cry" I've ever heard. He sounds just like Snoopy on all the Charlie Brown cartoons when Snoopy laughs or cries. That's the closest thing I can compare it to.

Anyway, thanks for all your help!

 

[ClucksAndPeeps]

I think she.......

 

[Tricoglossus]

Nice pictures - pretty bird! I think that Ava is female. I can't see any male plumage in that bird. By the way Polish do have the V-comb, both sexes have it, and it is bigger obviously in males. However I have a Polish hen with quite a visible comb. Granted, she is older than Ava, but I have had her since about 6 months old and she has always had a visible comb. Here is a picture of her:

 

[naightengale]

i agree Ava is Ava!! looks very hen to me.
the polish weve had the hens are very timid and the roos are very ummm....eager?? lol if it was a roo im sure he'd have let you know by now.

 

[Tricoglossus]

MusiGal - you may want to check out this thread as well if you haven't already seen it, this gold laced polish ended up being a pullet https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/700764/golden-laced-polish-pullet-or-roo/40

 

[alb9202]

i am still convinced its a cockerel mainly because of the extremely dark colored feathering near the saddle area. i do hope i am wrong :/

 

[Kelsie2290]

Ava is around six months old in these pictures? I'm not seeing any pointy saddle feathers or rooster tail feathers, the dark patch of feathers on the back is odd and her head feathers are rather messy compared to most girls, but it really just looks like a pullet starting to mature right now.

 

[MusiGal]

Trico - what a pretty bird you have, too! It may be because of her age, but I don't see any of those things on Ava (wattles and such like on yours). Would Ava be considered bearded? I am learning so much from everyone...mainly that I'm not alone in wondering about some things. Many of us have the same questions. Thankfully, there are many others on here who know the answers!

Alb9202 - I kind of hope you're wrong, too! Although, at this point, I think she will forever be a she in my book, regardless.

Kelsie2290 - Yes, 6 months this week. She is a wonderful little bird and I'm loving having her as part of my flock.

Thank you all. I'll try to remember to come back in a few weeks with another update. Who knows? Maybe she'll lay an egg or maybe he'll crow!

One other thing...if he was a he, would he have spurs? Ava doesn't.

 

[MusiGal]

Good morning, everyone! Just wanted to update this thread with the news that I really have no update to give. Since we re-homed Red, the RIR Rooster, Ava is still the lowest on the pecking order (no surprise there), but she isn't constantly having to hide or spend her days running away from a rooster who is after her. I'm still calling her a "her" because there has been no other change in her body or behavior...nor has she laid her first egg (which she may never). She also has never crowed. So, for now, I'm still calling her a she and hope that in the Spring that she'll give us a little proof one way or another. She is still afraid of everything and very skittish, but now, instead of standing off away from the rest of the flock, she grazes freely with them and only occasionally gets pecked at...yes, definitely the lowest in the pecking order. Hopefully, I'll have some definitive news in a couple more months. Oh yes, we ended up cutting her head feathers...what a sight that was, but she could see. Don't know if that made things better or worse. HAHA. So, all this to say...the mystery still lingers. Is Ava and He or a She?

 

[Tricoglossus]

Hey thanks for the update. Glad to hear that there was no crowing. You know we always appreciate more photos around here

Sometimes if hens are at the very bottom of the pecking order and really stressed, they may not lay at all. Alternatively, is there any chance that she is laying eggs in a secret place?