Is my hen truly a roo?

[Hennyhenhen]

Had terrible luck with a batch of silkies from a hatchery getting mareks and dying or most of them being Roos. I thought this one was a hen. She’s never crowed before and her siblings (two other silkies) started crowing months ago. Can anyone tell by appearance if this is a hen? She’s not as fluffy and round as my other two Roos, but I do have an older roo not from this batch that is skinnier like her.

Video of her/him crowing on my instagram @loweryspoultry

 

[Poultrybonkers]

If its crowing its a rooster

 

[Yard Farmer]

If its crowing its a rooster

X2

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Had terrible luck with a batch of silkies from a hatchery getting mareks and dying or most of them being Roos.

Sorry for your losses!

Age required, that's a terrible picture for gender ID. Side standing picture showing saddle and picture of comb/wattles up close and clear with crest pulled back. I've had some roosters crow as young as 3 weeks and other not until almost 2 years old.. each is an individual.

I agree with others.. although hens can and do crow, mount other birds, and even grow spurs.. it's very unlikely for pullets in MY experience to be crowing, I've not seen it YET.

Noting for behavioral and medical purposes.. anything under a year old is still a pullet or cockerel. Rooster and hen.. technically not until 1 year old +.. My family still calls them hens and roo's in casual conversation.

So.. sorry to "go there".. but do you already know he likely also has Marek's or is carrying it, despite not showing symptoms? Please don't re-home him unless it's to the stock pot. (yes, I harvest my extra Silkie boys) Some of us breed for resistance.. not knowing if that's even truly possible. My state poultry vet at UC Davis suggest getting all chicks vaccinated. Marek's in older birds *may* look more like slow wasting or crop dysfunction than the more obvious signs seen in juveniles.

One other quick note on straight run.. I have had individual batches be 8 boys and 2 girls while another batch was 3 females only.. in the long run it did level off to being 50/50 ish.

Hope everyone continues to thrive!

 

[Lovely Lettie]

Yes that looks like a male.

 

[Chicken poppy]

If its crowing its a rooster

Thats not a clear indication. I have had hens that crow and mount.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Thats not a clear indication. I have had hens that crow and mount.

That only happens if hen is old not young

 

[ChickenHeartedHen]

I’m betting cockerel. Yet again, it’s not really clear.

 

[Chicken poppy]

That only happens if hen is old not young

What do you mean by that? Old as in 1+ or old as in egg retired?
This happened with my 8 month old and a year old hen.