Miss Pickles has gone all Mr. on me?

[LadyBirdsPalace]

I have a 5 month old (what I thought) was a pullet until this past week.

Miss Pickles is a Speckled Sussex, and I had originally got 4 day old chicks back in April, two were VERY apparently little roos, the roo I had kept was well matured at 3 months and running around with all the usual aggressive mannerisms of any roo. The other little pullet I gave to my neighbour completely resembled mine, so I was convinced of 2 and 2.

I have since found my young roos new homes and kept her as she was smaller in size, nice tiny comb/waddles, but granted she did always have some big, beefy looking legs but who am I to judge, haha. Looked 95%% like a little pullet, then this past week, out of the blue, she gets the big old tail feather, my husband asked me about it and I thought, NAH, but she did, it's very obvious, but she hasn't crowed. I have a Cochin roo that is out there making all kinds of noise and he is exactly the same age and since they mature slower (as he had well after all the little Sussex and Ameraucana roosters from the same hatch), I thought for sure she was a little hen in training!

Then yesterday she tackled down my Buff Orpington pullet right in front of me and did his/her thing! NEVER HEARD THIS ONE CROW ONCE?

Could this be because I don't have an overly agressive roo in there? My cochin roo is what I thought was the only one, and while he crows ALL day long and acts like any other roo, he is still much of a gentleman so I don't know if she's just butching up in his place or here I just have a VERY LATE bloomer, and was just seeing what I wanted to see!

Too funny!

 

[HEChicken]

Pictures would help a lot. In the absence of a rooster, a dominant hen will sometimes take over the "mounting duties". I have a couple of older laying hens that I have seen mount my younger pullets, looking exactly like a rooster as they do. After it's done, the pullet will get up and shake in the "was it good for you too?" kind of way, just like it was the real deal.

 

[LadyBirdsPalace]

HERE SHE/HE IS!

I SWEAR, that tail feather is BRAND NEW! Within the last week!

5 MONTHS OLD NEXT WEEK.

ROO ARGUMENT
-Never seen my Cochin Roo love up on him/her, yet have all the other ones in this age group.
-Getting very MAN-ish in the last week.
-First time ever seen it 'behave' like a roo was once yesterday!
-Always segregated from flock when out free-ranging, always does own thing.


PULLET ARGUMENT
-Other Speckled Roosters were VERY developed at 3 months, crowing away, chasing the ladies, ect.
-NEVER crowed once.
-First time it got it's butt-kicked by my roo was this week.
-Bigger than my other pullets but not as big as my Speckled Roo was.
-Very Gentle.

Wouldn't she start getting spurs by now?

OK, what's your verdict?

, stinkin' things are always entertaining....

 

[monkeemakr]

So sorry, but those saddle feathers look very roo-ish to me.

 

[geekgurl]

He's pretty! Their "rooish" qualities do seem to creep up on ya, don't they?

 

[NonnasBabies]

Definetly a roo! Speckled Sussex are one of the hardest breeds to sex that I've ever owned!!

 

[LadyBirdsPalace]

Isn't it odd that he doesn't crow yet? Maybe he's a mute roo! lol

 

[debid]

Yep, that's a cockerel! I have a 20-week SS pullet and I wish I had a current photo of her to share because if you put them side-by-side, the differences would be obvious. I think spurs become visible quite a bit later than things like pointy feathers in the saddle and hackle areas. I know my cockerel has barely a hint of a bump at 21 weeks but he's got some nice, long plumes going.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

he's purdy.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

That would be MR. Pickles, for sure...at least to my eyes. Must be a late bloomer.