Hermaphrodite?

[popsicle]

Sorry, can you explain "washed out?" These girls have only been laying a couple of months. Do you mean they're working too hard? They free range and get plenty of high quality feed, oyster shell, etc. Is there something else I should be supplementing with?

Donrae, do you think there's much meat on him? He looks pretty lanky to me!

It's normal and there's nothing wrong with her. If they are indeed bleached from laying, the color will probably return to normal when she molts and bleach out again next laying cycle.

From My Pet Chicken's chicken help page--first hit when googling:
A hen who is laying well will also have a moist, pink vent, and a wide, plump pelvis. The legs of a good layer may also be paler or "bleached" (in brown egg laying breeds with yellow legs). A poor layer will have lots of pigment. Hens who are good layers may also have broken feathers, simply because their bodies may put fewer resources into their plumage. Make sure your layers have a high protein diet with plenty of calcium for strong egg shells, and so they can maintain the health and gloss of their plumage at the same time.

 

[Susan49]

Ah, ok I understand. All is well then. Except for this under developed rooster I seem to have! I wouldn't mind having a rooster as we'd like to hatch some chicks next year, but I don't think I'd want to breed this fellow if he's not up to snuff. Should I try to fatten him up a little more before putting him in the pot, or should I take what I can get as he may not get any bigger?

 

[popsicle]

Personally, I don't process until they start irritating me with their crowing or abuse of the pullets and hens. I don't really factor feed costs and such in the equation when it's a cockerel or two in with the layers; if I want to worry about feed conversion and all that, I'd get a couple dozen broilers.

 

[Katt66]

I doubt he's eating much considering you're feeding over 4 dozen chickens. One weird rooster thingy should have much of an impact on the food bill. If he's not bothering anybody, I'd leave him alone. He's neat. Who knows? He might be a late bloomer and turn into amazing rooster by next year at this time. But then, I'm always a sucker for the underdog as long as he's not bring the rest of your flock to harm in any way.