Hen or Rooster?? I can’t decide…

[melgoede]

My 2-1/2 month old buff Orpington started crowing yesterday morning… thought I had all hens and now I’m not so sure. I read that sometimes dominant hens will crow… I’d attach a video of the crow if I could, here’s a few pictures of my two buffs. They look the same but buff Orpington roosters are not a lot different than the hens. Any affirmations that it could still be hen who’s just confused will be greatly appreciated

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Hens crowing is not really a thing that happens, generally speaking, in real life. If it hypothetically ever happens at all, it's so incredibly rare that most people should still go with, "the most obvious explanation is probably the correct one."

There are tips at the top of the Breed / Gender forum on how to take better pictures.

It's also not usually recommended to let chickens perch on your head, especially if you think one may grow into a rooster. That's a recipe for some disastrous behavior right there.

 

[NatJ]

My 2-1/2 month old buff Orpington started crowing yesterday morning… thought I had all hens and now I’m not so sure. I read that sometimes dominant hens will crow… I’d attach a video of the crow if I could, here’s a few pictures of my two buffs. They look the same but buff Orpington roosters are not a lot different than the hens. Any affirmations that it could still be hen who’s just confused will be greatly appreciated

The two buffs look enough alike that they are probably the same gender as each other. So I think you either have two males, or two females. Given the size and redness of the combs, I'm leaning toward males.

Are you sure it was a real crow? There was another thread recently where someone posted a video of their "crowing" chick and it was not actually a crow at all, just a sound that pullets can make. You could watch the video and see if it matches what yours was doing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/are-any-of-these-hens.1572366/page-4#post-26767458

Yes, hens can crow. But that is relatively rare in adult hens, and even more rare in partly-grown chicks. The younger it is, the more chance that crowing means it is male.

Hens crowing is not really a thing that happens, generally speaking, in real life. If it hypothetically ever happens at all, it's so incredibly rare that most people should still go with, "the most obvious explanation is probably the correct one."

Crowing hens definitely happen, unless we doubt the word of all the folks in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/anyone-else-have-a-crowing-hen.1572015/

But I agree that a crowing cockerel is much more likely than a crowing pullet, especially because OP's birds are right around the age when many cockerels do start to crow.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Yes, that's what I'm saying. The simplest explanation. Omg I hadn't even thought of that, if they are both cockerels, I would believe it though. Haha

 

[melgoede]

The two buffs look enough alike that they are probably the same gender as each other. So I think you either have two males, or two females. Given the size and redness of the combs, I'm leaning toward males.

Are you sure it was a real crow? There was another thread recently where someone posted a video of their "crowing" chick and it was not actually a crow at all, just a sound that pullets can make. You could watch the video and see if it matches what yours was doing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/are-any-of-these-hens.1572366/page-4#post-26767458

Yes, hens can crow. But that is relatively rare in adult hens, and even more rare in partly-grown chicks. The younger it is, the more chance that crowing means it is male.


Crowing hens definitely happen, unless we doubt the word of all the folks in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/anyone-else-have-a-crowing-hen.1572015/

But I agree that a crowing cockerel is much more likely than a crowing pullet, especially because OP's birds are right around the age when many cockerels do start to crow.

Here’s an uploaded video of this morning’s crow…

My chickens are tote kept in the evening while their run is being finished. They spend their day free-ranging though (just didn’t want any judgers)…

 

[melgoede]

Hens crowing is not really a thing that happens, generally speaking, in real life. If it hypothetically ever happens at all, it's so incredibly rare that most people should still go with, "the most obvious explanation is probably the correct one."

There are tips at the top of the Breed / Gender forum on how to take better pictures.

It's also not usually recommended to let chickens perch on your head, especially if you think one may grow into a rooster. That's a recipe for some disastrous behavior right there.

That head perch happened once and I removed them after taking the pic. I generally don’t let them climb all over me but they were trying to get higher because my two dogs were chasing them around on the deck.

 

[Tonyroo]

At 2 1/2 months old those are cockerels.

 

[Tonyroo]

Most heritage pullets hold there yellow comb till there getting close laying. They hold there comb color for 4 to 7 months depending on the individual bird.

 

[Sunshine009]

At 2 1/2 months old those are cockerels.

I'm not particularly experienced with chicks, though I've done it a few times now... I must concur, looks like two boys to me.

I just raised a purebred buff orpington from a chick last spring and she didn't show any sign of a real comb till about 4 1/2 months.

 

[melgoede]

I'm not particularly experienced with chicks, though I've done it a few times now... I must concur, looks like two boys to me.

I just raised a purebred buff orpington from a chick last spring and she didn't show any sign of a real comb till about 4 1/2 months.

Good to know. Thanks