I'm Stumped...Appreciate your input

[ChickNanny13]

Thought these were all pullets but somebody's started "crowing"...Few weeks ago it was once (6:47am) so thought I was hearing things, the next week heard it again (6:30am), next week nothing so thought I was hearing things. Since Thursday, I've heard the "crow" daily (6:15 - 7am), just a couple of spurts. I let them out of their house at 7 every morning so thought it was someone complaining. Now I'm not so sure, would appreciate your input...2 Orpingtons, 1 Ameraucana and 3 Wynadottes who were hatched (incubator by breeder) 13wks ago tomorrow.

Ameraucana, quite sure Pullet

Orpingtons, almost positive Pullets


Wynadotte, Ruby is questionable

Wynadotte, Crystal is questionable

Wynadotte, Greyling quite sure Pullet

Orpington, Smokey quite sure Pullet
Orpington, Opal quite sure Pullet

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Ruby (pic 4 and 5) and Crystal (pic 6 and 7) look like cocks to me.

Ruby has a very large comb for 13 week Wyandotte.

Crystal's feather pattern suggests roo to me...blotchy rather than even.

My 2 cents
Lady of McCamley

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thanks, that was my opinion today....

 

[Emma-Leigh]

hmm they all look like pullets even the wyandottes, Ruby is the only one I would question because of the redder comb and wattles even though they are not large the feathering also does not look like a cockerels.
For comparison here is one of my wyandotte cockerels at 10 weeks old. His wattles are larger and redder than any of yours.

Here he is now, 14 weeks old yesterday. His comb and wattles are huge and he is getting hackle feathers.

So unless your wyandotte pullets change drastically in the next week I don't think their cockerels and I don't know the other breeds well enough to comment on them. Perhaps you have a crowing pullet?

 

[BuffOrps123]

Cockerels

 

[appps]

I thought smokey actually seemed to have long male looking feathers round the neck?
Know nothing of orpingtons so don't know if there is something else making you discount it as a possibility.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I thought smokey actually seemed to have long male looking feathers round the neck?
Know nothing of orpingtons so don't know if there is something else making you discount it as a possibility.

I think Smokey is definitely a pullet. Orpington hens can have spiky neck feathers. Smokey at 13 weeks has essentially no comb development...which you should see at 13 week roo.

Because of Orpington...I say don't worry about spikier neck feathers...only if saddle feathers appear too. My Buff Orpington hens had spiky neck feathers...and laid lovely beige eggs.

Lady of McCamley

 

[donrae]

I agree, ruby and crystal are cockerels.

 

[ChickNanny13]

After three days of "crowing", I had Hubby wake early so he could hear but nothing. This is my first experience with the Rose & Pea Comb, having more experience with Orpingtons. I raise chicks for a breeder, these came from my last batch of 11 Ameraucanas, 7 Wynadottes &
3 Orpingtons in trade for my selection of six. Lady of McCamley, I'm sure that Smokey & Opal are pullets as their combs are too small but the "spiky" neck feathers had me concerned, thanks for your reassurance. appps, the neck feather on Smokey & Opal had me concerned too but I've had to rehome Orpington Cockerels in the past & their combs were alot bigger & red. What do you raise? Emma-Leigh, thank you for a picture of your Wynadotte Cockerel comb, I was checking out the development of my Wynadotte's combs today and noticed that Ruby & Crystal's have ridges & red whereas Greyling's is flush no color. If it is a Crowing Pullet, I hope the volume & length of crowing don't increase and not any earlier, think the neighbors would tolerate it for some eggs? Flock Master, was hoping you'd respond, wanted your input. Do you think it could be a "Crowing Pullet" or are they cockerels? Really like all of these birds & they're personalities, even Hubby enjoys this set. He's saying wait & see, IF it gets loud enough to wake him, then it's time to rehome. Thanks for all your expertise...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

not that it couldn't be beyond the realm of possibility as strange things can happen...but it is highly unlikely you have a pullet crowing.

Hens can crow but the scenario is it happens with the lead hen in a flock without a rooster...and she would have to go through hormone changes ie. her one ovary shuts down causing the male dormant sex organ to kick in to produce male hormones ...you then get a hen who crows and takes on some rooster feathering...however you can't get chicks from her.

At this young age unless something extremely bizarre and unlikely has happened, you have a young roo beginning his voice.

With the absence of an older roo teaching him, it will take him longer to figure out how to crow and if he is not dominate in the little flock (my baby roo wasn't as a chick yet) he likely won't crow much until he figures things out a bit.

So sorry...you have a roo in the bunch who will eventually grow up and into his full voice.

My experiences
Lady of McCamley