Hen? Rooster? Australorp? Orpington?

[Backyard Barn]

Gertrude was found on a public road in a rural area. We took 'her' to the local farms and ran adds to find her owner. We came up with nothing. We now have a chicken. Hen? Rooster? Help!

I need to add a couple chickens as well. Have ALWAYS wanted them. Looking at quiet breeds that will treat Gertrude well...

 

[StarLover21]

Sorry that's a rooster ;( Hopefully you can still keep him.

Looks like an Austroloup mix. He's going to be pretty!

 

[Backyard Barn]

Are you sure? Please tell me what tells you he is a rooster versus a hen?

 

[hdowden]

can you get a closer pic of his saddle area (base of tail area). looks like a cockerl basied off of the tail and looks to be an australorp or assuie mix but not including tail looks like a hen

 

[Backyard Barn]

Sure thanks for the help!!!
Let me know if you would like a different picture. How I should take it to help you identify it. Thank you!

 

[StarLover21]

He looks pretty young but has a very large comb, and holds himself very upright. Also when you click on the second picture that you originally posted you can see long, pointed feathers extending from his tail. All of these signs point to rooster.

 

[donrae]

That's a cockerel. I know you don't know how old it is, but it appears to be a young bird and that's an awful lot of comb. You can also see saddle and hackle feathers starting. The legs are nice and thick, also. I'll bet someone just realized they had a rooster and dumped him. He really doesn't look like an australorp, he's too light bodied I think. And not an orp, wrong body again. I think he's probably a mixed breed.

 

[Backyard Barn]

Well heck!
I have to find a home for him. Maybe our local feed store would take him to live a happy life with their other hen's and roosters? I'll offer to buy 3 laying hens (quiet laying hens) and ask if he could take Gertrude / Gregory.... He is so darn sweet! I left out the part that he crows in the morning because I didn't want to influence your opinions. I thought maybe it was because 'she' was without a rooster. Thanks so much for your help!!

<----That's me trying to catch him when he's not ready to be caught!

 

[hdowden]

i would really wait to decide anything. those feathers are long but they don't appear pointed and slender, in fact this one reminds me a lot of my polish HEN she has long saddles and the rooster tail feathers

 

[Smoochie]

I agree the feathers are quite shinny but they look hen.