Is this a rooster?

Rooster or Hen

  • Rooster

    Votes: 6 100.0%
  • Hen

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    6

rmurrayslcut

Songster
10 Years
May 17, 2013
59
30
126
South Jordan, UT
Hi Everyone,

I'm 99.9% sure my Rhode Island Red is a rooster. I bought sexed chicks, but evidence mounts against this guy every day. He (as opposed to my other seven hens, including another RIR) has a much bigger and redder comb/wattle. His legs are thicker. He's much more aggressive than the rest of my flock, and he's starting to do a weak crow. I guess I was in denial until I started to see the prominent green sheen and now, pointed and obvious saddle feathers. I'm giving him one more chance and would like other opinions. What do you think? (S)He is 17 weeks old.

Thanks for your help.

 
For anyone interested, here's an update...I was out there today and HE puffed out his hackle feathers. I'm officially adding that .1% to my original post, sourland. This guy's a rooster.
 
Yup, that is a rooster. The pointed hackle and saddle feathers, developed comb and wattles, upright stance, and shiny tail feathers are all rooster signs. The puffing of hackles is him beginning to feel his male hormones and trying to rise in the pecking order.
 
For anyone interested, here's an update...I was out there today and HE puffed out his hackle feathers. I'm officially adding that .1% to my original post, sourland. This guy's a rooster.
If he puffed out his hackles at you, this is the time to go after him and show him that YOU are the alpha rooster. He's shown aggression to you, so you need to shut him down before he moves on to actual attack. Some people cull at the first sign of aggression--I give my boys one (and only one) chance. At the very first sign of aggression, like those raised hackles, I would squawk at the top of my lungs and flap my arms and chase that boy all around the pasture. If I can catch him, I'd hold him down and pin him in the dirt until he stops struggling. If I can't catch him, I would chase him and chase him until he goes to hide. After that I would make a point of catching him in the future and holding him, upside down my his feet if necessary, until he stops struggling. Don't pet him or give him scritches (subordinates groom the alpha), just let him know that you are the biggest baddest chicken he's ever going to meet. After this, if he shows any aggression to you again, I'd cull him. You do not want to keep a potential attacker, and you certainly don't want to breed from one since aggression is hereditary.

Just my 2 cents--you have an opportunity to teach this boy a lesson RIGHT NOW. If you ignore him or (worse) move away from him when he threatens you, he's won and you'll have a heck of a time on your hands.
 

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