how badly woudl I tick off my chicken if...

Put some food coloring about the vent areas, each gets their own color and see what colors turn up a streaks on the eggs. I would not mess with separating a flock unless there was a need as it can dissrupt pecking order, the egg laying and cause re-intergration problems.

If you pull a laying hen out she might just be POed enough not to lay an egg anyway.

 

Isn't it kind of funny that squirting food coloring in her bum is the less aggravating option?

 

At 4-9 months, there should be some fairly obvious signs to tell you whether one is a rooster or not, beyond whether s/he is laying an egg a day (many she's won't necessarily at that age, either). It may not be crowing, but should have some roo characteristics, long cape, hackle, and saddle feathers, more upright tail, bigger comb and wattles... The feathers are the things that I look for, seem to be the earliest indicators other than size. I agree that you may disrupt things if you try to separate someone, and they are just getting adjusted to their new home. Can't you just give it a little time?

 

Post a pic or series of pics, we'll tell you who the roo is if there is one. MUCH easier than food coloring!

 

Looks like a girl to me.

I would not isolate. When the chicken gets back into the flock it has to reestablish pecking order.

I am getting between1-3 eggs a day from 3 girls. I am still trying to figure out which one is giving me the smaller eggs and laying every other day to every 3rd day... if I really get hyper about it I will do the food coloring trick. But for now I think that is a decent amount of eggs going into the colder months with less light.

 

looks like a hen to me too...

 

I'm no expert, but that looks like a hen to me.

I wouldn't separate them either.