Is this a rooster?

[aubreynoramarie]

Weird! Its definitely got female coloring but male tail feathers! How old?

 

[ll]

JHillgrove:
The "fountain" of feathers that your bird is showing in your 1st photo are called sickle feathers. Definite rooster characteristic. I've read that it's rare but sometimes they can show both hen & roo qualities, and some cockerels/roos are quite nice. Not always beat 'em up & climb on 'em personalities ~ mine was as docile as can be, and maybe when testosterone kicks in you'll possibly see different behavior.



The photo on pg 17/post 165 doesn't have the same tail feathers, just "rounded" hen feathers.

Quote:

 

[JHillgrove]

After posting this I was more confused, I decided to wait and see. I waited and waited for some sign of either way. Finally yesterday my kids found this chicken out in the woods angry as heck because they disturbed her while she was trying hatch some eggs. I guess thats as sure a sign as any. Its a hen!

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
If the bird in your picture is sitting eggs he is very confused.

Are you sure he was sitting the eggs or just watching over the nest. I have had roosters do that.


Chris

 

[smarsh]

i have to agree, not way that's a hen.

 

[off-grid hen]

Well I think it's a hen! I have 5 hatchery quality Doms. 2 of them have about 3 tail feathers that are longer and curved. Not quite as long as the one in your photo, but I'm 98% certain that they're all hens. One of them is laying. I watched her lay yesterday, and they both cluck and squawk and sing the egg song like the other noisy Doms I have. She looks like a hen to me, but I am a newbie. Any chance of getting another photo with better lighting? LOL the confusion about this is amazing. I think Chris09 is a breeder of Dominiques? So he must know! but I feel like it's a girl. Unless mine are boys? Are your dominiques from a hatchery or breeder? Could be funny genetics going on. Now I feel like I'm going to follow those girls around because I'm paranoid...

 

[86121]

Sorry i say roo.

 

[tasha82]

Quote:
theres also barred wyandotte,which i recently found out,we thought ours was a dom rang the breeder and its a wyandotte.the sex was in question with him to,whyd they all have to loook so similar haha,xx

 

[Hiram]

my roos looked like that at 5 months. It should start crowing soon.

 

[JHillgrove]

I went out to check, she has about 10 eggs under her. Guarding that nest like a vicious dog, but I moved her enough to see them. She is nestled out in the underbrush in the forest, not the safest place.

WHen I do see her come eat, she holds her wings out too look big and menacing to the other chickens. I saw this behavior the whole last week and thought for sure it was a rooster, but then saw the whole broody thing....???

She was making funny noises every step she took and she was all twitchy too, so I dusted her for lice. Maybe she is not twitchy in the itchy way, but in the crazy-loopy muttering to herself way?