Hen or Roo?! oh YES IT'S A BOY!

[RollingForkMeadows]

I'm at a loss!

We got 8 chicks from the local feed store in May, got there too late in the day for R.I. Reds and Orpingtons, so were happy to take some Wyandottes and Americaunas, which were all that was left in a big bin.

They were all said to be females.

The Wyandottes are a sweet surprise. Never had them before and am enjoying their personalities.

A couple of the Americaunas died, and we have two left. - So here are a few photos I just took of one I am suspicious of. (Awful photos, I just realized after I uploaded them; hopefully they are clear enough to be able to give a guess.)

Her behavior and look is ... different than the others. If she's female, she's extremely dominant. She makes sharp, quick gurgle-gobble sounds in her throat when she warns the others about something. And they run to do as she wishes. But she does not crow!

'She' is approx. 4 1/2 months old as are the rest we got at the same time.

She even acted protective of the one who got sick and died (we gave her antibiotics in the water but she slowly deteriorated) - watched her take a noodle-treat to her one day and leave it, then stand there so the others wouldn't bother her.

She is the one with all the colors in her feathers, who seems to stand a little taller. No real comb - and NO CROWING -

Darn. These photos don't show how beautiful and somewhat iridescent her coloring is. They ran back in the barn when they saw the camera.

I just don't know if / what she is....



Last photo: Left: The Mystery Gender "Americauna"
Center: Gentle 'Americauna'
Right: Wyandotte




'

 

[Twistedfeather]

Yeah that one is most likely a cockerel. Not all chickens have single combs and that is a rather large pea comb for a young bird.




These are all cocks by the way.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

That is an Easter Egger cockerel - unfortunately, "sexed pullets" run a 5-10% chance of being an opps cockerel due to error rate in vent sexing day old chicks.

 

[Michael OShay]

He is definitely an Easter Egger cockerel. Sorry. (

 

[RollingForkMeadows]

Thank you guys for the help, and really nice graphic of combs.

I knew it!
Well, although I'm secretly happy, all that keeps going through my head now is, "Just wait till my husband gets home..."

He did NOT want a cockerel.
I'm thinking the girls will be safer free ranging.
My son named 'her' "Woman of Steel"...
so now I guess we know what the obvious name change will be.

But he doesn't crow at all, not even a pathetic rusty hinge attempt.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What part of May did you get them in? That could +/- the age by 4 weeks, and would play into him not yet crowing as you are looking at anywhere from 13-17 weeks old.

 

[BantamLover21]

Definitely a cockerel.

 

[RollingForkMeadows]

We got them all on May 8. But the 'Americaunas' (or E.Eggers) were bigger than the Wyandottes and the feed store owner said they were probably a week or more older, not newly hatched.
So 'she' is probably 17 weeks at least. Maybe even 18.
I just thought she would have crowed by now.
She did start to have different characteristics months ago, though, including the stretched neck, alert posture, and a hint of stink eye.
I've been secretly doing Google searches (my husband won't believe she's a roo until 'she' crows) and read that "it's not a rooster unless it crows" - even though some hens will even crow or change gender sometimes (?!) - I just find it odd that we've heard nothing resembling a crow out of her.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Your "Americana" is a cockerel. On the plus side, your Wyandotte is definitely a pullet.

I'm glad you're enjoying your Wyandottes- they're my favorite breed!

 

[RollingForkMeadows]

Ah ha!! Oh yes, he is all-rooster! Of course everyone was right.

He crowed! And crowed and crowed. Over and over again, like a dinner chime. He just discovered his voice.

Luckily my husband and I were both outside, both near the barn, and heard it - HIM- loud and clear.
But what does my still-in-denial-husband say, "What was that? A turkey?" He was serious.

It's a boy!
So far he's afraid of me and very attentive to the girls. Hope he doesn't turn nasty.