Is my barred rock a hen or a rooster?

[jobailey25]

Her name is Dot and she's about 5 months old. Everyone keeps saying she's a rooster.
Im really not ok with it and in denial.
Is it a ROSTER? If so im changing it's name to Spike.
I may keep it and see what happens. Its really calm right now.
I looked at several pictures of barred rock's and it looked lik a hen, but now the butt feathers are going long like a rooster! Please help me figure this out.

 

[hdowden]

cockerel yes...spike...it looks like its got the saddle feathers coming in and the com and wattles are way to big for a pullet

 

[jlovelady]

Yes Spike is a rooster.

 

[HEChicken]

The coloration says hen but everything else says cockerel. I think you should plan on renaming Dot to Spike.

 

[jobailey25]

Spike it is..whaaaa
so not ok with it!

He's really nice so far will his personality change?
I'm Really not into eatting fertal eggs?
I only have 6 hens do I need more?

 

[donrae]

If he's not yet crowing or mounting hens, yes, his personality may change. Research how to treat a rooster. He should be fine with six hens. Just keep an eye on them, look for bare backs and necks. Mating will look pretty violent at first but he will settle down after a few months. You've probably eaten a lot of fertile eggs and not known it. It takes a practiced eye to tell if an egg is fertile or not when you crack it. No difference in taste, etc.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

That is most definitely 100% a rooster. Just research on how to handle them... a bit like dogs as you have to be the dominate figure. Other than that as long as he isn't mean he should be just fine with 6 hens. Also there is no difference between fertile or unfertile eggs.

 

[PekinBantam]

Spike is a rooster. Now about that hen problem, You should be just fine under the condition that you ONLY have 1 roaming rooster.As John Grogan wrote in 'Marley and me' :Two roosters in a flock is one rooster too many. Some roosters will fight mercilessly bloodying themselves for the hens of the flock, so I advise only letting one rooster around the hens.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Definitely a rooster.

 

[jobailey25]

Thank you for all your help. Its been confermed. I've been reading blogs here since I first got my chicks in November and its so helpful.
"Spike" just started mounting his first hen. Since I posted this. An he started making some bock bocks not yet cock a doodle do yet.
He has been so calm and docile true to the bread. If it was going to cock in the mix, i guess he would be the best bread.
As long as he knows I'm the big HUman Chicken everything will be ok. He still runs to me like im still mama.
Im not getting any more chickens only 6 will do it just for my family and They make me so happy.
I was worried about having a backyard rooster since two of my neighbors have them, sounds like more than one each but whatever.
Thanks for your advice.