How did you find out your chicken was a rooster?

[humblehillsfarm]

I've experienced raising two roosters. One was purchased as a sexed blue copper maran. The other was hatched as a mutt along with his sister. They were identical except his comb grew significantly faster than hers. I knew he was a male, and at 11 weeks he crowed. It was an adorable little crow.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Feathers and comb were extremely obvious.

 

[Sally PB]

One crowed at 8 weeks. The other two didn't crow much, but they all had the male feathering come in about the same time.

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

Would autosexing count as 'sexed that way' or 'feather patterning'? I have a couple of Cream Legbar roos (which are autosexing).

For my other roos, I knew when they started getting big combs. For my Dark Brahma bantams, when they started getting a male pattern instead of female lacing. I purchased one Barred Cochin roo as an adult.

Feather patterning if you weren't sure of the sex when they first hatched, sexed that way if you bought or bred them to be roosters.

 

[JadeFarms]

Well some of mine I bought as roosters, some of mine are autosexing and some I can tell with comb.

 

[Quaicken108]

Changed from female to male?! This is what happened to my school... A silver laced Wyandotte chick - SLW pullet - SLW POL - SLW ROOOOOOOSTER!!! His/Her name was Saskia.

 

[Quaicken108]

Chickens do not change sexes, they can change feather type due to hormone Inbalance but the plumbing is the same.

I know... I was just shocked when I was a youngling(ish) because we were so sure that it was female. That was a while ago though... best not to dwell on those times.

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

Chickens do not change sexes, they can change feather type due to hormone Inbalance but the plumbing is the same.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I read that if one of the ovaries is damaged, then it releases a burst of testosterone. This causes the hen to stop laying and start crowing. The 'rooster' would be sterile though. Again, I'm not sure if this is the cause, but please do tell me if this is incorrect!

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

Also, I would change it, but apparently my ability to edit it has run out, heh

 

[2 many chickens]

Comb is always way pinker more quickly. Where others are pale, theirs are brighter.