How old is a rooster before he acts like a rooster?

[papaclark]

I have a cuckoo maran that I'm afraid is a rooster. It's 11 weeks old and until this morning hadn't made any noise....none of my 8 hens make much noise, however this a.m. one of my marans starting making crowing(?) sounds. My wife didn't hear it so I don't know...Here's a picture...let me know what you think

 

[BantamLover21]

Looks like a rooster to me, since I think I see narrow, pointed saddle/hackle feathers (rooster signs), and his comb is large for 11 weeks.

 

[papaclark]

Bummer,...I thought sure I was good since none had started crowing yet. Guess I'll give it another day or two,....can't have crowing. thanks for looking. Guess that's what I get for naming it "Thurston"

 

[missnu01]

See red on the face? Means boy. Forget the feathers. Forget stance. All you need to sex a chicken is red on their face. Is so simple. Hens combs do not get color until they are about to lay. Even if they have big combs they won't be red. So red comb in young bird equals rooster

 

[papaclark]

No noise this morning......6 am. suns been up awhile. Do roosters crow every morning? I thought they were the ones to wake the barnyard! I don't have a barnyard, but I do have alot of early activity outside. No crowing today. Maybe he-she will get a reprieve.

 

[happyhens1972]

See red on the face? Means boy. Forget the feathers. Forget stance. All you need to sex a chicken is red on their face. Is so simple. Hens combs do not get color until they are about to lay. Even if they have big combs they won't be red. So red comb in young bird equals rooster

With this in mind, how soon do they go red?

 

[missnu01]

See red on the face? Means boy. Forget the feathers. Forget stance. All you need to sex a chicken is red on their face. Is so simple. Hens combs do not get color until they are about to lay. Even if they have big combs they won't be red. So red comb in young bird equals rooster

With this in mind, how soon do they go red?

Depends on the breed or specific bird, but you can usually tell a rooster easy by the time their heads are feathered. Sometimes sooner. But any chick that goes red on the face is a male. Whether they are 3 or 13 weeks old. He's don't go red til right before they lay...so any red prior to time to start laying indicates a cockerel

 

[happyhens1972]

Ok, thanks.....I currently have four very pale pink faced mixed breed chicks, three weeks old today, who I feather sexed as all girls at three days old but I am aware that feather sexing is not reliable in all breeds and especially mixed but I am waiting to see how accurate it turns out to be in this case. I have yet to see anything that makes me suspect I'm wrong but any indicators I can use will only help to keep my mind at rest.

 

[papaclark]

OK... I'm assuming "Thurston" is a roo. I've looked over the rest of my flock and they have pink, varying in size, but not like Thurston. He's also quite a bit bigger than the rest, but not at all aggressive, or (thus far) noisy. Poor "Lovey" will be the only maran Now I just have to figure out how to get rid of him. I don't butcher so I'll have to give him to somebody. Hope he stays quiet in the meantime. Thanks again folks.

 

[missnu01]

Orange is fine, peach is fine, red means rooster