Late Blooming Rooster??

[NatJ]

No crowing or saddle feathers - yet. The comb and wattle size has tripled within 2.5 weeks.

That sounds about right for a pullet about ready to lay. If that's what "she" is, then you should get eggs within a few weeks.

But you're right that it could also be a late-blooming cockerel, and I don't have any good ways to tell them apart except to keep waiting. (Well, DNA sex testing exists--pull a few feathers and send them off to a lab, along with some money, and get results in a week or two. But its usually easier to just keep waiting until the matter finally becomes clear.)

It isn’t the top hen or even the second hen in terms of pecking order. Its very protective against hawks and leads all the other hens into the coop while it stays out to watch for awhile. Today that happened and when he/she went back in the coop it brought a piece of corn and set it on the ground as a treat for them! When free ranging, it also gives that rooster call when it finds food - all the others come running to eat.
Is this something that hens often do too?

Good observations about the behavior, but I'm afraid I don't really know the answer.
Broody hens certainly do some of those things for their chicks, but I'm not sure about non-broody ones.

 

[Ari_m]

That sounds about right for a pullet about ready to lay. If that's what "she" is, then you should get eggs within a few weeks.

But you're right that it could also be a late-blooming cockerel, and I don't have any good ways to tell them apart except to keep waiting. (Well, DNA sex testing exists--pull a few feathers and send them off to a lab, along with some money, and get results in a week or two. But its usually easier to just keep waiting until the matter finally becomes clear.)



Good observations about the behavior, but I'm afraid I don't really know the answer.
Broody hens certainly do some of those things for their chicks, but I'm not sure about non-broody ones.

I originally thought pullet but I’ve been confused by the difference in size and behavior compared to the other pullets. Either way I can’t wait to see if it lays an egg or starts developing new feathers!

 

[Ari_m]

My Buff Orpington chick was always more outgoing & friendly, when I brought the chicks mealworms, that little stinker didn't wait, the moment my butt sat down that chick would jump up in my lap to stick it's head into whatever container I carried to see what I had. Lol This bird was such a late bloomer as far as appearances. Suddenly at abt 5 mos of age, comb got larger, then legs grew & bird seemed taller, saddle feathers seemed longer & my baby attempted to crow. Now at 7 mos, he is just now growing the handsome rooster tail.

He is with RIR & Ameracauna Roos, and the Buff is the boss, he always was a more outgoing chick anyway, but even though the RIR & Ameracauna are 1 month younger, they grew their saddles & Roo tails in earlier. It is interesting...do different breeds mature in different aspects at different rates?
My RIR & Ameracauna looked like Roos at 4 mos of age, Buff Orp not til 5 mos of age. But Buff Orp personality was Roo at just 6 weeks of age, if you consider being so outgoing & fearless as being "Roo-ish"

That’s very interesting. This one is a Swedish flower. I heard of another of this breed that developed super late as well. The breeder I got them from had said hers don’t generally get combs that large yet but the feathers weren’t right for a cockerel. She’s leaning towards pullet but said this could be a late bloomer.
I’ve even heard of some roosters taking 9 months to crow
This one is friendlier than the rest of the bunch too. If the others start laying and this one isn’t, I’m going to assume it’s a rooster

 

[Liz Birdlover]

View attachment 2408516

The one on the left resembles how my Buff Roo looked for abt 4 to 5 mos, 1st his comb grew larger, next his legs got thicker & longer, then saddle feathers got longer after he got taller, and he is just now growing rooster tail feathers at almost 8 mos of age, he was born end of March.

 

[NatJ]

If the others start laying and this one isn’t, I’m going to assume it’s a rooster

Has this chicken started to lay eggs yet?
Or grown rooster feathers?
Or is it still being confusing?

 

[Ari_m]

Has this chicken started to lay eggs yet?
Or grown rooster feathers?
Or is it still being confusing?

Ended up a hen! I must say I’m a little disappointed. I was really looking forward to the idea of her turning out a rooster- the colors would be beautiful! She never once went in the nest box until one day she went in and laid her first egg - she’s continued to lay almost daily ever since. And now she’s becoming broody

 

[NatJ]

Ended up a hen! I must say I’m a little disappointed. I was really looking forward to the idea of her turning out a rooster- the colors would be beautiful! She never once went in the nest box until one day she went in and laid her first egg - she’s continued to lay almost daily ever since. And now she’s becoming broody

Thanks for the update!
It's nice to have the solution to the puzzle