I have a houdan pullet too (I was told she's a pullet, but am not sure). I got her last fall at about 2-3 weeks old. She is friendly but very submissive, and I had to treat her with anti-pick goop for a long while. First it was the EE that was picking her mercilessly, so much that I removed the EE to a sky kennel for about a month (still in view but not let out together). Last month I re-introduced the EE to the flock and everybody seems to be getting along mostly well. Some recent picking on the part of the dominant hen (GL Wyandotte) on her head, but they all sleep together snuggled up. The two other hens are laying since last fall; if the houdan is a pullet she should start laying around March.
I'm not positive this is a pullet because she seems to stretch her neck up sometimes and it reminds me of the EE I had that turned out to be a roo. The tail feathers she's growing in appear straight and no sickles are evident, but the crest feathers (still white) seem straighter, not curly like the drawings I've seen. Still about half-black/half-white, some black feathers on her back have green in them (but the australorp I had was half green too, and she was laying). I haven't heard any crowing yet at about 12 weeks old, and I thought that the EE roo was crowing before that age. Never had a houdan before, bought it locally from a grower who bought it from McMurray in a run of pullets. -- If anyone has good full-body photos of young houdans, please send me some privately. --
This little one was very skittish when first introduced and I had to clip a wing because she could fly 5 ft straight up. She has mellowed out now and doesn't fly much, even with new flight feathers. She doesn't seem to have any trouble seeing but I was told that trimming feathers was an option if it became a problem. I let them all out together when I'm home and able to supervise. I named her "Pinot" because she's a French chicken that loves grapes. If I can figure out how to post a photo, I'll put one up.
