Is my hen a roo? (barred rock)

[MamaMarcy]

Now, our other hens will do the face off where they run at each other and neck feathers flair (esp our RIR & wyandotte)...in this case though our frizzle rooster just tugs at the head of the BR w/ the comb. Other than the comb and waddles the two BR's look almost identical (why i named them both elizajane)...the one with the comb has a fuzzier butt though (below tail feathers)

I've considered that maybe the frizzle roo is learning how to mate (he's young and still perfecting his crow)...and also he's a smll breed and maybe it's the best he can do??

 

[speckledhen]

with barred rock the males are lighter then the hens.

Not always, only about 90% of the time, but hens can be as light as their sons. Had one for years who was. She fooled so many folks on an early BYC by having male traits until I realized that her comb wasn't growing large by 15 weeks old and she wasn't getting saddle feathers.

hens dont flair their hackels (most of the time) or at least not like roosters do.

Yes, they do. Or I have weird hens, LOL.

You should read about my terrortist attack hen, Tiny!


There are individual differences in birds. Are you sure of the age of the first bird? Looks like a hen to me. In fact, looks very much like my Lexie did, may she rest in peace.


Lexie:

 

[Cowgirl71]

With the fuzzier butt and larger comb, I bet she's gonna start laying before the other one!

When given the choice, roosters also prefer hens that are laying/close to laying over non laying hens, which may explain why he's "picking on" this hen, but not the other one.

 

[NYREDS]

Both Barred Rocks are pullets.

 

[Mahonri]

Agreed... both are pullets....

 

[speckledhen]

You are not just going on color. You're going on body shape, lack of shiny saddle and hackle feathers, etc. That light colored one has a hen's body type, color aside. There's really nothing in that first bird that looks male, other than she's a tad lighter than most BR girls.

 

[DirtCreature]

hen for sure!

 

[MamaMarcy]

I missed Lexi's pic...wow she was a pretty girl11


So, is one of my BR's lighter than the other? They both look the same to me except for the headgear

 

[anderson8505]

Yup, Look just like my 3 hens, they all have different sized combs but are at the same age, just happens I guess.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Could have just been the flash on the camera that made the bird appear so light.