Immature rooster? or really butch hen?

[tbmorgan]

Hi all,
I have had my Australorps since they were 1 day old, and they will be 20 weeks old this week. One of them was very slow to feather in, and also had chunkier legs than the rest of them, and now he's got a slightly bigger, curvier tail than the others, but that's it. He has never crowed or shown the slightest interest in any of the girls he lives with (I also have 4 red sex-link pullets the same age that have recently started laying.) The other Aussie hens have started squatting, and all 4 look pretty much the same in terms of comb/wattles (medium sized and red.) This one little guy (I guess it's a guy) seems to be extremely immature if he's indeed a he. Is this normal for the breed? He shows absolutely ZERO interest in the girls. I also don't see any pointy saddle feathers. Not sure what to think of him! LOL My little Polish roo, on the other hand, is still in my kitchen in the brooder and is already crowing to replace my alarm clock every morning, and there is NO doubt he's a boy! He carries himself like a little man and everything. My lorp is gay, maybe?? or possibly just a really manly hen? Here's a pic of him at about 16 weeks, and the only reason he's this puffed up is because I had just startled him with the lawn mower! lol He normally looks just like the hens, except for that curvy tail.


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[A Chicken Owner]

That's a hen

 

[A Chicken Owner]

She will lay very soon

 

[tbmorgan]

so, it's normal for hens to have those bigger, curvier tail feathers? She/he was a month behind the others in terms of growing anything resembling a tail when they were wee babies (and I thought that was a typical roo thing,) and now the tail looks distinctly different from the others, but that is the only real difference that I can see.

 

[A Chicken Owner]

I think she's a hen but another possibility is a slow maturing roo. Wait another 2-3 weeks, she should show some signs of laying if she's a she. Another point is Australorp roosters are much 'fatter' looking than the Australorp in your pic. Also Australorp roosters tails are much bigger and curlier than the pic.

 

[A Chicken Owner]

At what age did she grow a tail.

 

[A Chicken Owner]

This is an Australorp rooster. Even though this is a picture of an older chicken, you can see the differences in this picture compared to your picture. The tail is much curlier and tail feather are much longer. You do have a point because Australorp pullets' tail feathers are much shorter than the Australorp in your pic.

 

[A Chicken Owner]

Another possibility is that she is a BJG. What color are the soles of her feet?

 

[tbmorgan]

In my pic, he/she was only 16 weeks old, and has since filled out some and the tail now has one bigger, sickle-shaped feather sticking out of the top of it. It is clearly different from the other girls' tails. However, this is the only roo-like characteristic that I am seeing, and in terms of behaviour, he/she is a weenie. I will post a current pic tomorrow.

 

[tbmorgan]

Another thing to consider is that this was a TSC chick, so in terms of breed standard quality, I'm sure he/she is screwed! LOL