I think I got a Rooster

[lbunkie]

I got 9 pullets from my local farm store, they are now about 2,5 months old and today one of them tried to cockle doodle do. I thought my Roister-Camo was sick but NOPE, it is one of the young ones. Is this a DEFENT sign I have a young male? I only ask cause I have grown hens that try to bark like the dog

 

[jennhartv]

Rooster.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Rooster. Sorry.

At 2 1/2 months (10 weeks), with that much comb, beginning sickle tail, and sounds of crowing...it's a roo.

Occasionally an older hen will have a hormonal shift when her one ovary shuts down such that will give her too many androgens and kick in male qualities such as saddle feathers and crowing (similar to an older woman's voice deepening and growing facial hair), but that is rare and certainly not this situation.

LofMc

 

[kidcody]

Yes, it does look like a beautiful rooster!

 

[Michael OShay]

Definitely a cockerel. (

 

[lbunkie]

Thank you EVERYONE! I'm really confused though on the tails and flum, cause my Camp has a squeished up flum and then I have grown hens that have flums just like this little Roo? Help??

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you EVERYONE! I'm really confused though on the tails and flum, cause my Camp has a squeished up flum and then I have grown hens that have flums just like this little Roo? Help??

I don't know what you mean by flum...comb?

Yes, full grown hens will have red combs (the fleshy head decoration) and wattles (the dangling fleshy growth under their chin). However, hens don't get full size, red combs and wattles until almost point of lay, which is generally 5 to 6 months of age, depending upon the breed (some take more time to mature). Some commercial breeds like Production Reds and Barred Rocks have quickly developing females who may show comb growth by 14 weeks, sometimes as early as 12 weeks. But usually the female comb and wattles remains small and pale yellow until just before they start laying, which is usually around 20 to 24 weeks depending upon the breed.

Roosters get their red combs and wattles much earlier, often showing by 6 weeks of age in many breeds but not until 8 to 10 weeks of age in most. Generally speaking you will know you've got a rooster when larger red comb and wattles appear before 12 weeks of age. With slower maturing males, you have to wait for the secondary sex feathers to be sure...and sometimes you have to wait until it either crows or lays.

In some breeds, like White Leghorns, both genders can get fairly impressive combs and wattles, but the rooster will always outshine the hen (of the same breed) in that department and always get his long before she gets hers. Some comb types are harder to tell for quite some time between the genders, rose comb is an example of a comb type that can be harder to distinguish...color and flesh size need to be observed. Pea combed birds often have 3 full rows for male then a single large middle row with small edging rows for girls, but that rule can be broken and girls can have 3 full rows of peas as well.

As to tails, that varies with breeds, but in most breeds the rooster tail is the long sickle feathers with glossy color. Roosters usually get block color patterns, like a quilt, while the female pattern is even across the bird, like a kaleidescope. You will also see what is called the "saddle" on roosters. That is long stringy pointy feathers that cascade off the back like a waterfall just before the tail. Some breeds the male also gets a nice hackle of stringy feathers that fringe his neck, but that can be less obvious in many breeds.

Some breeds, like Orpingtons and Cochins, can be harder to tell between genders from the feathers alone as the males just get fluffier bums than the females do, and the saddle can be hard to see until nearly full grown. Comb size and age when comb appears is generally the tip off in those breeds.

HTH Search for sexing chickens on BYC and you'll see some nice photos of what I am talking about.
LofMc

 

[lbunkie]

Wow!!! I still have SOOOOOO MUCH TO LEARN!!! Yes I did mean Comb, LOL. Here are pics of the other two birds I have, that according to info above are possible Roosters. Please let me know. - I'm heart broken that they maybe Roos, I'll need to give them away because our flock is too small to handle King Camo and 3 small one/

 

[lbunkie]

This is my Black Silky and he is BEAUTIFUL

 

[lbunkie]

CAMO, head honcho of the Flock! He's so pretty.